A Place in Time
by Stellar2
Summary: MMWP/L...a more realistic approach of their trials and tribulations at Hogwarts and beyond (starts 6th year)
1. And the story begins

Disclaimer: All characters (save the esoteric ones that I probably made up) belong to Ms. J.K. Rowling and people of that sort. Please don't sue me…I am not making any profit off of these writings…I only wish!  
  
Author's Note: This is my very first fanfic…after reading so many of them, I have decided to try my own hand at fiction. I sure hope mine measures up to be as wonderful as yours! Enjoy! ^-^ And please, reviews are not necessary, but appreciated. Please read and enjoy!  
  
A MMWP/L fic with some OCs here and there…not too many, I promise. It starts in their 6th year…no L/J yet, but it will come! I'm trying to make it seem as realistic as possible. Thanks.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
"Attention! Hogwarts Express leaving for Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry in 15 minutes!" screeched the intercom, deafening all patrons standing within a 20-foot radius from the speaker.  
  
"Welcome back to Hogwarts," muttered James Potter, brushing his boyish bangs from his eyes while running down the long train platform. "I cannot believe I have been attending this school for five years, yet I still forget to stand further away from the speaker." Noticing his friend Sirius Black outstanding amongst the throngs of Hogwarts students, James quickened his pace and went to greet his best friend.  
  
"Greetings, Padfoot, how was the rest of your summer?" James inquired, placed his large trunk next to Sirius' own luggage. James gracefully avoided knocking over Sirius' owl, Orion, who was sleeping soundly in its cage.  
  
Sirius turned around quickly, hearing the familiar voice of his best friend behind him. Raising his eyebrows, Sirius flashed an amused smile while taking long glances at James.  
  
"Whoa, Prongs! You grew! Dude, you are towering over ME now!" Sirius laughed, turning his eyes upward, to stare James straight in the eyes. They laughed soundly at the latest discovery. Except for James' glasses and unmanageable hair, the two guys were oftentimes mistaken as twins—with their longish, raven-coloured hair, tall build, and fabulous smiles. James and Sirius had become best friends long before Hogwarts, and had gotten to the point where they knew what the other was thinking. The fact that James was now a little taller than Sirius was a shocking, yet humourous, revelation.  
  
James chuckled, nodding his head to his best friend. 'True,' he thought. He had grown over the summer. He had finally grown out of his young, boyish looks and into a handsome and striking man. At a (now) stately 6'1'', 17 year old James Potter had definitely changed for the better. Though his unruly hair and intelligent spectacles remained the same, he had gained a lot of muscle in his arms and torso, having spent all summer at an elite Quidditch camp. (A/N: As "striking and comely" as James may seem, I do not wish to portray him as this insensitive ladies' man as some other authors have done previously. He's just another normal guy…kinda. ^-^)  
  
After engaging in some random chit chat with Sirius about Quidditch and dragons, Sirius' uncle had just returned from an exciting research adventure in Bolivia, James turned and checked to make sure that his trunk and owl, Lia, was still by his side. Sirius stayed home most of the summer, while their other friend and fellow Marauder Remus Lupin visited family friends in Austria. Peter Pettigrew stayed home much of the summer with his parents. James glanced and noticed another familiar face moving toward him in the crowd.  
  
Walking onto the platform, James took in the tall, slim figure and dazzling smile of his other good friend Lily Evans. With her long auburn hair and piercing emerald eyes, Lily was one of the prettiest witches at Hogwarts—but didn't seem aware of it. She was funny and sweet, and an incredibly gifted witch. She received the highest marks in her year, and was the Marauders' closest friend. Originally, Lily was only Remus' friend, while Sirius and James thought of her as a kiss-up and perfectionist. But eventually, they realized how kind-hearted and sweet she was and included her within their tight-knit group of friends. The fact she was amazingly skilled in Charms was another reason why they learned to love Lily, for she oftentimes helped them in their pranks against Snape and other annoying Slytherin.  
  
"Hey Evans! Get over here!" Sirius yelled, waving his arms, ushering Lily over to him and James. Lily wove her way through the groups of excited Hogwarts students and reached her friends. She gave James and Sirius a hug and then proceeded to catch up with them about their summer plans.  
  
"How's life treating you, Sirius? Did you finally get out of the house?" Lily said with a twinkle in her eye. She knew that Sirius was going stir crazy staying home all summer and sent him and owl every now and then to check on him. Sirius laughed and nodded.  
  
"Yeah. Thanks for the letters. I swear, I think I was going mad! But luckily, Remus stopped but about two weeks ago. I mainly hung around with him and Juliet before going back to Diagon Alley. And speaking of the devil—" Sirius turned his head and saw Remus and his girlfriend Juliet enter the train platform. Remus noticed his friends and ran to greet them.  
  
"Remus—my good man! How are you? Did you have a great summer? Do anything…interesting?" James wiggled his eyebrows suggestively at Remus and Juliet. Lily threw a sympathetic glance at Juliet, who was blushing furiously.  
  
Remus Lupin and Juliet Smyth had been dating since the fourth year. Juliet was Lily's lab partner in Potions, and they quickly became close friends. Having met the Marauders earlier, Lily sensed the strong chemistry between Remus and Juliet and set them up. Since then, the pair had become quite inseparable. Except for the times when Remus would leave during the full moons (A/N: Lily and Juliet realize the whole MWPP thing. No need to explain.) Lily, James, and Sirius occasionally dated some people around Hogwarts, but none of them were currently in any serious relationships.  
  
"Oh James, grow up" Lily replied to a still smiling James. "You are just jealous that Remus is getting some and you're not." James shook his head, smirking.  
  
"Of course not, Lily. Why should I be jealous when I have YOU?" James said, bowing grandly while winking at Lily. Lily rolled her eyes and shoved James into the now-boarding train.  
  
"C'mon Jamesie. We're going to miss the train." The friends all piled into compartment 18, and headed toward their final destination of Hogwarts.  
  
~*~  
  
"Thanks for all the lovely letters, Lil," Juliet whispered to Lily, resting her arm against the window. Having a wizard and witch for parents, Juliet understood the reasons why Lily did not visit many of their Hogwarts' friends over the summer. Lily was the only witch in her family of Muggles. Despite the fact that her parents were elated that their daughter was so 'special', Lily was required to stay closer to home when school was over. Lily compensated for that fact by sending numerous owls to Juliet, Sirius, James, and Remus over the summer. It was quite unfortunate, since James and Sirius came from highly respectable 'pureblood' wizarding families, who oftentimes threw get-togethers for many people in the wizarding community. "How's Petunia? I hope she didn't give you a lot trouble this year, I remember the stories." Juliet inquired.  
  
Lily rolled her eyes. "Petunia was dreadful…as usual. I think the animosity she holds towards wizards accumulates more and more each year. It's pathetic. It took extreme amounts of self-control to prevent myself from grabbing my wand and turning her into a cockroach." Lily and Juliet laughed as the guys around them began discussing plans for the latest pranks that they devised over the summer.  
  
"… by the time Snape realizes that one-by-one his robes and clothing are turning invisible, he will be 'naked' in front of the entire Hogwarts, particularly during a flying lesson. And we, gentlemen, will be hidden and innocent with the aid of my invisibility cloak!" James announced triumphantly, revealing his intricate plan to an engrossed Sirius and Remus.  
  
"Brilliant! Absolutely brilliant! Oh man, I cannot wait to see the look on Snape's face…" Remus started.  
  
"…when he notices that he's flying buck-naked on a broom!" Sirius said, finishing Remus' sentence. "Damn, parts of Snape even doctors shouldn't be allowed to view!" He grimaced and shuddered, imagining what it would be like to see a naked Snape shouting obscenities to the Marauders.  
  
  
  
Lily threw Juliet a bemused glance. "I don't even WANT to know…" The two laughed lightly as the rest of the train ride continued without much trouble—besides the ones being planned out by James, Sirius, and Remus for the upcoming school year.  
  
~*~  
  
Once they reached Hogwarts, all five friends proceeded to go to the Gryffindor Common Room and up to their dorms to drop off their trunks. After unpacking some of their clothes, Lily and Juliet then went down to the Great Hall; a long train ride left them famished for some great Hogwarts food.  
  
"Hmm, I wonder how the new first-years are going to be like. Do you think there will be a lot of them this year?" Juliet asked, dusting off some lint from her robe as they walked down the staircase toward the Great Hall.  
  
Smiling, Lily said, "I sure hope not. Remember last year when there wasn't enough room in the Ravenclaw dorms? It must have been horrible for those who had to sleep in the bathroom!" Juliet laughed. Just as they entered the entrance, Lily slipped her hand in her robe pocket and gingerly pulled out her Prefect badge. She did not want to tell her friends that she became a Prefect—though considering her excellent marks, it seemed quite obvious—but she wanted it to be a surprise when Dumbledore presented the Prefects and Head Boy/Girl for the incoming first-years. She was sure Sirius would laugh out loud, realizing that he now had Lily's 'Prefect privilege' to save his butt from Professor McGonagall or Filch when a prank went wrong.  
  
They walked into the Great Hall and seated themselves with Sirius, Remus, James, and Peter Pettigrew, who had already arrived. Sliding into the seat next to James, Lily turned her head to Peter, who was an acquaintance of the Marauders. Peter was the fourth guy in their infamous group.  
  
"Hello, Peter! Did you have a nice summer holiday?" Lily asked, as Peter was fiddling with the silverware on the table. He had sandy blonde hair and was a little on the hefty side, but she could tell he had grown taller over the summer too.  
  
"How are you, Lily? Summer was pretty great, but I mainly stayed home. Did you go anywhere?"  
  
"Naah, I was subjected to Petunia's horrible remarks at home. I wished I was somewhere else, though!" Lily laughed, as she turned towards James. He had a thoughtful look on his face, and was looking around, as if he forget something. Just as Lily was about ask him what was wrong, Dumbledore rose from his seat and cleared his throat.  
  
"May I please have your attention? I would like to cordially welcome everyone back to Hogwarts!" Many people clapped and cheered as Dumbledore waved his arm. At that moment, the doors opened again as the first years entered the Great Hall. After everyone was seated, Dumbledore continued with his traditional 'welcome back' speech. "As I mentioned early, I would like to welcome all you bright students to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. I am certain this year will be a memorable one with new experiences and lessons as you continue, or begin, your journey toward being full-fledged witches and wizards!" Everyone clapped as Professor McGonagall brought over the Sorting Hat and began the sorting the new students. After every first year was placed in his/her proper house, Dumbledore began announcing the Prefects to the all the students.  
  
This was the moment Lily was waiting for. After introducing this year's Head Boy and Girl, Christopher Downing and Lindsay Jang from Gryffindor, Dumbledore began naming the Prefects. The Prefects from each house went to the front of the hall and stood next to the Dumbledore and the Head Boy and Girl. When Dumbledore was about to announce Gryffindor's Prefects, Lily started to stand up and she noticed something glimmering off James' robe. Lily leaned closer and noticed that it was a Prefect Badge! Lily giggled inwardly. 'James Potter? A Prefect? I think that's a funnier surprise than mine is!'  
  
"…And for Gryffindor, Lily Evans and James Potter!"  
  
Lily stood up as James, who had turned around and flashed a smile to Lily, began to walk with her to the front of the hall. She couldn't help but smile when she saw Sirius, Remus, and Juliet staring at them open-mouthed.  
  
James leaned down and whispered to Lily, "Hey! I figured your were a Prefect, but you didn't say anything!" Lily smiled and whispered back to him.  
  
"Yeah, I found out this summer. I wanted it to be a surprise, but I didn't know YOU were one either! I think we've officially freaked out our friends." James laughed as he and Lily turned towards the still gaping faces of Sirius and Remus. Juliet mouthed 'Congratulations! Nice job!' to Lily, who waved lightly to Juliet.  
  
After the announcements, everyone returned to their seats and proceeded to demolish the scrumptious meal that magically appeared on all the tables. It wasn't after until everyone had stuffed their faces and Lily and James gave their tours did the six friends meet again in the Common Room to speak.  
  
~*~  
  
"Can I touch it?"  
  
"Sirius!"  
  
"Geez, geez. No need to get touchy. I just wanted to see it. Does it have chocolate inside? You know, like those foil-wrapped Muggle candies?"  
  
"SIRIUS!"  
  
"Take that as a 'no'."  
  
James rolled his eyes and sighed as he sat on a Common Room couch, talking with Sirius after dinner. Sirius insisted on seeing James' Prefect badge to check its legitimacy. Like James himself, Sirius could not believe his best friend, prankster extraordinaire, was made a Prefect. Imagine all that power! Remus and Juliet were there too, as well as Lily and her friend Arabella Figg. Everyone began speaking at once, asking questions about Lily and James' new positions as Prefects.  
  
Juliet, who was sitting with Remus on the other side of the couch, turned to Lily and asked, "So what other responsibilities do you have now as a Prefect? Is there a lot more work?"  
  
Lily thought for a moment and replied, "I don't believe there is too much extra work. I mean, I enforce the rules more, and help Dumbledore by tutoring some younger-year students, but that's basically about it. Considering my impossible class schedule, I don't think it can get much harder!" Lily laughed. "But the privileges are definitely worth the extra chores, though. I get to use the private Prefects' bathroom now and I have access to most parts of the castle. It's really awesome."  
  
Remus looked at the clock and said "Alright guys, it's nearly midnight, and I want to get some sleep before I have to immerse myself in schoolwork tomorrow." Classes were to begin bright and early tomorrow morning. They received their schedules after dinner, and everyone checked to see which classes they had together.  
  
Remus yawned and kissed Juliet good night. He dragged Sirius and the two dragged their tired bodies towards the Guys' Dorm as Juliet began to stretch.  
  
"Yeah, I think I'm going to call it a night too. Take a hot shower, and dream that I won't have classes tomorrow." Juliet laughed a light laugh and started walking slowly toward her dorm room that she shared with Lily. They also roomed with another girl, Courtney Bloom, but she moved to France last year and now attended Beauxbatons. Dumbledore never replaced her, and let Juliet and Lily share a spacious three-occupant room.  
  
"Good night, Jules, I'm gonna go shower too, and I'll be up in the dorm later." Lily followed James, who had already left, to the Prefects bathroom. After a hot shower, she brushed her teeth and combed her hair. She looked in the mirror, brushing some of her long red tresses out of her eyes. She spotted James brushing his teeth on the opposite side of the mirror, clad in his boxers and Quidditch camp t-shirt.  
  
"G'night, James. Sleep well", Lily said, packing up her comb and toiletries.  
  
James looked up and with his mouth full of toothpaste, gargled "Night Lily. Sleep well too." He finished brushing his teeth and collected his school clothes discarded during his shower.  
  
"Oh damn." Lily exclaimed, looking at her belongings.  
  
James turned. "What's wrong?"  
  
"I left my book down in the Great Hall but I don't want to go down there in my pajamas. It's freezing. Oh well." Lily picked up her wand, and sighed.  
  
James tossed her his school robe. "Here, you can borrow my robe. I have another one. Just give it back to me tomorrow." He unclipped his Prefect Badge and, with great aim, tossed it at Lily from across the bathroom. She caught it with one swoop of her arm.  
  
"Thanks, James. I owe you one." Lily slipped on the robe. It was too large for her frame, but it worked. She turned around. "So, do I look like James Potter? I should muss my hair a bit, for the full effect, but it would ruining my careful combing."  
  
James laughed at Lily in his robe. "Har har har. Not funny. Good night." Lily smiled and headed toward the Great Hall.  
  
She found her book by Sophie Welles, a sixth year Ravenclaw, near the back of the Great Hall. She was a rather outspoken girl with a popular personality, not to mention a popular reputation. She was renowned to have crushed on various Quidditch players, a new one every week. From the gossip that was heard during dinner, James Potter was her new crush. Sirius nearly choked on his pumpkin juice when Juliet told everyone what Sophie had said about James. James groaned and ducked his head as Lily and Remus laughed at Sirius' jokes about James being the new "flavor of the week".  
  
~*~  
  
[At dinner]  
  
"Ooooh, Jamesie! You stud-muffin! Object of Sophie's affection!" Sirius screamed at James.  
  
"Hey, watch it. It could be you too, you know. You are the reserve Chaser for the team…that doesn't mean your aren't safe from her tentacles." James grumbled at Sirius, who was shaking his head.  
  
"Hell no. Why settle for a reserve chaser when she could have Gryffindor's Star Seeker? Or any Gryffindor, really…she's exhausted the Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff teams!" Sirius said as Juliet chortled. Sirius nudged James.  
  
James shook his head. "I hate you, Sirius."  
  
Sirius smiled. "I love you too, Jamesie."  
  
~*~  
  
Lily was apprehensive to grab her book at first, since Sophie wasn't exactly the nicest person to her. She oftentimes made fun of Lily for her Muggle upbringing and strong dedication to schoolwork. Though kindness and hard work were main traits of Ravenclaws, Lily had absolutely NO idea why Sophie was included within that group. 'Definitely a fluke of the Sorting Hat', Lily presumed.  
  
"Pardon me", Lily said, as she reached behind Sophie and grabbed her book.  
  
Sophie raised her perfectly shaped eyebrow at Lily. "Well. What are you doing her so late at night?" She crossed her arms.  
  
Lily returned the glare with her own. "What are YOU doing here so late?"  
  
Sophie didn't respond but glanced at Lily with another weird look. "Is that James Potter's robe? Why…no, HOW did you get it?" Lily looked surprised at her inquiry. Sophie looked at the robe with such a strong desire, Lily was afraid she might actually eat it.  
  
"I…uh…well…" Lily started, confused as how Sophie would know this was James' robe. It was black, just like hers.  
  
Sensing Lily's confusion, Sophie stated, "His name is showing from the label in the robe." Lily nodded and said that she needed the book and received his robe on loan.  
  
Sophie shrugged. "Oh. I didn't know guys like James hung out with the likes of you." She stressed 'you' as if she was speaking of some vile specimen that could be found lying around a Potions' classroom.  
  
Lily said nothing and thought 'What the…?' Lily sighed and grabbed her book. She refused to dignify that statement with a response, and began to head back to her room. Juliet was probably wondering where she had gone. 'Didn't Sophie know that James, Sirius, Remus, and Peter were her friends since third year? Probably just jealous that I have friends and she doesn't. '  
  
As Lily was heading out the door, she heard Sophie say, "He's going to be mine, you know. So just keep your little Prefect butt and friends away."  
  
Lily threw her a bemused glance as she left the Great Hall. 'What the hell is that girl's problem? It was as if she was challenging me about James. I mean, I'm not concerned with who my friends date, especially James. It doesn't affect me at all…unless it's a Slytherin or an axe murderer or both. Right?'  
  
Lily sighed as she walked through the Portrait Hole toward her dorm room. She slipped off the robe and crawled into her bed. Juliet was breathing softly in her four-poster next to her. Lily turned onto her back and pondered something before she fell asleep.  
  
'If this is just a taste of what being a sixth year Prefect is all about…it's going to be a LONG year.'  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Okay, how that's for a start? Feedback not necessary, but definitely appreciated. Is this a good beginning? Hmm…I wonder where this might turn? Definitely trying to stay away from the usual cliches!  
  
Take care, ff.net readers!  
  
~ Stellar 


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: All characters (save the esoteric ones that I made up and place randomly throughout the fic) belong to Ms. J.K. Rowling and people of that sort. Please don't sue me…I am not making any profit off of these writings…I only wish!  
  
Thank you to everyone who wrote a review…the official 'thank you' is at the end of the chapter!  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
It was a beautiful autumn day. The air was crisp and clean, the sun was shining, and the flora and fauna surrounding Hogwarts Castle were in the midst of changing colour and texture. Even the owls that were perched alongside the castle wall were cooing in appreciation of the fine weather.So where was Remus Lupin on this extraordinary day?  
  
Sitting in a Charms classroom, bored out of his mind.  
  
Remus sighed as he took another long gaze out the window, diverting his attention from Professor Flitwick to the puffy white clouds that were moving with the breeze. He was usually an attentive and diligent student, but he somehow couldn't keep his mind focused on the lesson today. Especially when there were a million other things he could be doing than sitting in class. 'Yeah,' he thought to himself. 'Like going back to bed and sleeping.'  
  
Remus turned his head back to the front of the classroom where Professor Flitwick was explaining the proper technique to cast a difficult levitating charm. He saw Lily listening intently, scribbling down notes as fast as the Professor was talking. 'At least someone here is working,' he mused, looking at James and Sirius from the corner of his eye. The two had parked themselves in the back of the classroom, and were whispering and pointing at Snape. 'That's definitely a bad sign'…Remus was sure the two were up to no good.  
  
As class continued, Remus began thinking about Juliet. She was in her Advanced Muggles Studies class, so he wouldn't be able to see her until lunchtime. He frowned at the idea, but continued to daydream about the billowing blonde hair and piercing azure eyes of his pretty girlfriend. What snapped him out of his reverie was a deafening yell from Snape.  
  
Looking over, Remus noticed about 16 birds pecking and poking at Snape, who in turn was yelling obscenities and shooing them away from his wand. He glanced over to James and Sirius, who were stifling their laughter as they continued to transfigure bits of paper into birds. Catching Remus' eye, Sirius shrugged his shoulders innocently and winked at Remus. Snape, now red-faced and angry, hollered to Professor Flitwick.  
  
"Professor, give those stupid Gryffindors Potter and Black detention for this lame prank!"  
  
Professor Flitwick sighed and looked thoughtfully at James and Sirius, who tried to put on their most angelic faces.  
  
"Professor Flitwick! I am hurt that Snape believe we were the culprits of that ingenious prank. He should be ashamed of himself!" James implored, flashing his winning smile.  
  
"Yeah," Sirius responded, with a twinkle in his eye. "What did we do?" He took a moment to grab a feather that was stuck in his hair and jammed it in his pocket. The two Marauders smiled.  
  
Professor Flitwick shook his head and said, "As angelic as your faces may seem, I'm giving you both detention for harassing Mr. Snape. Please see me after class." He continued on with his lecture, after helping Severus Snape get rid of the birds.  
  
Remus chuckled as he watched James and Sirius take out their notebooks. 'It's amazing, first day of class and they already have detentions…Hogwarts is certainly getting back to normal.'  
  
~*~  
  
"You've got detention ALREADY?" Juliet asked, as she caught up with Remus, Sirius, and James in the hallway later in the day. "You guys have only gone to two classes!"  
  
After giving her kiss on the cheek, Remus said, "Figures that James and Sirius would pull a stunt like that on Snape on the first day. They have gone three months of summer without a single detention, and probably got caught just to savor the familiar feeling of being on the Professor's bad side. I'm surprised they didn't pull anything before on the Slytherins in Potions. I mean, with the Ravenclaws and Gryffindors around." Juliet laughed.  
  
"Oh good Lord…what do you have to do?" She turned to James and Sirius, who were starting to lag behind.  
  
James shook his head. "Nothing too harsh, Flitwick let us off easy."  
  
Sirius smiled and said, "The good 'ol Black charm, working its magic."  
  
Juliet rolled her eyes. "Puh-leeze. The 'good 'ol Black charm' would get you guys expelled from Hogwarts in a second. Remember last year?" Sirius, James, and Remus chuckled, remembering last year's incident.  
  
Early in their fifth year, Sirius insisted on conjuring up a love potion to woo the heart of the Hufflepuff Seeker, Vera Schiff. He even went as far as placing the potion in a glass of pumpkin punch during the 'Welcome Back' get-together. Unfortunately, Vera was pushed and the untouched glass of punch with the potion spilled back into the punch bowl, contaminating the entire thing. So everyone who drank the punch began flirting shamelessly with Sirius, except for the Marauders, Lily, and Juliet, whom Sirius had warned right after the incident. Even though the potion lasted for only an hour, Professor McGonagall drank about five cups and began to rub provocatively against Sirius. Once the potion wore off, she was completely mortified and gave Sirius three-month's worth of detentions and threatened expulsion for that "stupid and immature" debacle. Professor McGonagall learned never to drink from the students' punch bowls again.  
  
Juliet laughed after she recounted that event. The friends had reached the Great Hall and she grabbed Remus' hand as they walked inside. James and Sirius lingered outside, not wanting to enter the Hall for lunch just yet.  
  
"Hey James, did you know the full moon this month is in about two and a half weeks?" Sirius whispered, as they avoided the throngs of hungry students entering the Hall. Remus had told Sirius that information shortly before class started, just in case he did not know. They had to make sure that everything was going to be safe this year when they went out on full moons.  
  
"Really? Well, we should mark that down then. Don't know if Filch set up any new security things around the castle. But I'll promise to find out during the upcoming Prefects meeting." James said to Sirius, who nodded his head and ushered for Peter, who came running up, to join them into the Great Hall.  
  
Peter was slightly out of breath as he approached his two friends. "Hey guys, classes go alright? Lily told me that you have already got detention!"  
  
James nodded. "Yeah, it wasn't the best prank, but it fit the moment. We only have to come set up early for Charms tomorrow, so no big deal. Flitwick saw my Prefect badge and let us off the hook."  
  
"Nice! Let's sit down. I'm starving!" The trio sat down near Remus and Juliet, and grabbed some sandwiches that were stacked in large pyramids on the broad, silver platters. Ten minutes later, Lily stumbled to the table, her arms full of books.  
  
Sirius looked up from his sandwiches and said, "Geez, Lily. Think you have enough reading material there? Is there anything left in the library?"  
  
Lily stuck her tongue out at Sirius and replied, "Ha ha. Dumbledore just told me about my tutoring student, a fourth-year from Gryffindor. Of course, he had to take all the classes I didn't take, so I have to brush up on a lot of work." She pointed to the stacks of obscure Transfiguration and Potions that were scattered about her. "At least he's taking Muggle Studies and Medicinal Charms…two of my old classes."  
  
"Hey, I took the Transfiguration class with that book. You can borrow my notes, if you want. I took lots of them." James offered to Lily, looking up from her books.  
  
Lily smiled gratefully. "Thanks a lot. That would really help. Hey, Dumbledore has a student for you to tutor also. I don't know who it is, but if you go to his office, I'm sure he has the name and his or her class schedule." Just at that moment, Sophie Welles walked by and sat down next to James.  
  
"Hey there. I just heard that you are going to be my tutor this year. I really appreciate the help." She batted her eyelashes at James and draped an arm over his shoulder. "Whenever you want to meet, I can accommodate. My dorm room is usually empty, so we can study there. I have everything we need. Books, pencils, paper—"  
  
"Condoms," Sirius interjected. Juliet stifled a giggle.  
  
Sophie threw him a dirty look as she continued to speak to James. Her face was now about five inches away from his face. "So whenever you want, I'm free to study." She stroked his cheek and walked back to her table.  
  
Sirius, Remus, Juliet laughed when Sophie was out of earshot. James turned red and shook his head as Lily and Peter smiled from the side.  
  
"So Jamesie, looks like we know who your tutee is for the rest of the year! I bet you're going to have a great time with her…" Lily said, taking a bite out of her sandwich. James sighed and took a sip of pumpkin juice.  
  
"C'mon you guys. You know how much I can't stand her! How the hell did she even get ME as her tutor? She gets decent marks…we're only going to study!" James stated. Sirius grinned.  
  
"Study? Oh, is THAT what they call it nowadays…" Sirius ducked as James tried to hit him. Everyone laughed.  
  
James laughed lightly and shook his head. "I hate you, I hate you all…" He took another bite of sandwich as everyone chatted before heading off to their last few classes of the day.  
  
~*~  
  
The rest of the classes went by fairly quickly, and James and Sirius avoided getting any more detentions. They did, though, manage to get some nasty stares from Snape and the rest of his Slytherin posse. Dinner came and went, and pretty soon everyone found themselves in the Common Room, either working on homework or talking by the blazing fire.  
  
Sitting by Lily near a desk in the corner, Juliet was showing some of the pictures she had taken during the summer. Her two teenage cousins had visited from Ireland, and she brought Remus over to introduce them to him. Meanwhile, Remus and James were engaged in a quiet game chess, while Sirius and Peter competed who would be able to stuff as many chocolate frogs as they could into their mouths at one time. With a look of disgust, and slight interest, Juliet turned back to Lily and showed her another picture.  
  
"Here's my cousin Violet and her brother Vincent. Do you remember them? I think you met them once, fourth year." Juliet shuffled through some more photos.  
  
Lily looked up from her Song Charm essay. "I think you introduced me to them once. It's definitely been a while. Wow, they've really grown! I like the way she did her hair; I think I might try styling mine like that." Lily looked at the picture closer, watching the image of Violet turn back and forth, trying to see the entire hairdo. "Vincent looks taller too. Is he still playing Quidditch?" Juliet shrugged.  
  
Remus looked up from the chessboard and said, "Yeah, I think he mentioned something about that to me. He's really nice. Jules' cousins reminded me of you and James."  
  
James asked, "Oh really? Are they intelligent, funny, and impossibly charming too, like Lils and me?" He moved his knight four spaces to the left, taking one of Remus' pawns. Lily laughed out loud from her seat.  
  
"Oh. Well, I was just going to say that Violet had red hair like Lily, and Vincent never got off of his damn broom, like you. Practically made a shrine for it." Remus contemplated his next move, to retaliate against his lost piece.  
  
"Hey, there's nothing wrong with a little love and affection for a broom. They have feelings too. Speaking of Quidditch, I can't wait until we get to play again. I miss it." James looked longingly out the window, trying to catch a glimpse of the Quidditch Field. It was dark outside, which made the feat a tad bit impossible.  
  
"Dude, you played Quidditch two days ago. Don't worry about it. When the season comes, you'll be so worn out, it'll take you another year to recover." Sirius said, with a mouth full of frogs. Peter was busy ramming some more into his own mouth, while simultaneously opening a few more packages.  
  
"Something about boys and food that I'll never get." Lily muttered, as she started to gather up her books. She looked at the clock and it said 10:30. She wanted to take a hot shower and crawl into bed. It was going to be a long day tomorrow, with a Prefect meeting in the morning, and tutoring in the afternoon. Juliet followed Lily's actions and began to collect her pictures.  
  
She heard a faint "Checkmate" come from the chessboard, and Remus and James began to pack up with different pieces. Only Sirius and Peter remained, with sick looks on their faces as they laid on the couch. Empty packages of Chocolate Frogs were strewn around them as a couple of second years peered over to see who ate the most.  
  
Remus went over to give Juliet a long goodnight kiss as Lily walked around them to drop off her books in her dorm. Lily walked into her room and placed her books on a neat stack near her desk. Though she had a large oak desk in her room, the Common Room was a much nicer place to do homework—she could socialize while getting a head start on her Advanced homework. Lily took off her robe, grabbed James', and walked out of her room. She shivered a bit as she headed toward the other side of the Gryffindor wing. She was only wearing trousers, shirt and tie, and the sweater vest that everyone wore under their robes. Lily went directly over to the James, Peter, Remus, and Sirius' dorm room and gently knocked on the door. James answered.  
  
Lily held out his folded robe from yesterday and said, "Hey, could I possibly have those Transfiguration notes from you? I think I'm gonna start reading some tonight so I'll be prepared tomorrow." James took the robe and ushered her inside the dorm as he walked over to his shelf to find the notes. Lily sat on his bed patiently as his rifled through his old schoolwork. She was looking at his Prefect Badge by his discarded robe on his bed. She rubbed her finger across the large Gryffindor seal and the engraved 'James Potter' on the badge. Finally retrieving his notes, James stood up swiftly and handed her a thick wad of paper. Lily began to look through them. She squinted her eyes at a few words, but continued to quickly glance through the thorough notes.  
  
"Yeah, sorry my handwriting's a bit messy. It was during my fourth year, after all. Oh well, but I think I covered everything in those notes. I passed that class with a really high grade." James told Lily as he loosened his school tie, and began to take off his sweater vest. Even though he loved to play pranks and was a 'Quidditch jock', he was very intelligent and got excellent marks in all his classes like Lily. His parents put a lot of pressure on him to do well in school, since they were Head Boy and Girl when they graduated Hogwarts many years ago. They expected James to be too, when he was a seventh year.  
  
Lily smiled and took out her hair clip, letting her long auburn hair hang freely down her back. She used the barrette to clip the papers together as she got up from his bed. "I really appreciate the notes James, thanks a lot." She picked up his sweater vest that had now fallen to the floor and handed it to him. He picked it up and folded it.  
  
"My pleasure. Don't worry about giving them back early either. As I said, I've finished that course." James said, as he grabbed a towel and started walking with Lily out of the dorm room. They walked down the stairs, they greeted Sirius and Peter who were dragging their sick bodies up to bed.  
  
"Night, guys. Uggh, I think I'm gonna lie down for a while." Sirius groaned as Peter mumbled out a "Good Night" too as he clutch his stomach in pain.  
  
James shook his head as he and Lily continued walking down the stairs, through a hallway, until they reached point where it diverged to the Girls' Dorm and the Prefects' Bathroom. As Lily turned right toward her room, she said, "Good night, James. Thanks again. Sleep well."  
  
"You too, Lily. Get some rest. I'll see you in the morning." The pair waved and walked off in separate directions.  
  
Little did they know a pair of Ravenclaw eyes were watching them from the shadows.  
  
~*~  
  
Alrighty then! Another installment added, and I think it's rather decent! I finished it rather quickly, so I don't really know when the next one will be out. Gotta think of new ideas. Any suggestions? Your input is greatly appreciated! I'm definitely not trying to make it some weird love triangle between L/J and Sophie…but a little jealously and some bitchiness is always good for a storyline. Hmmm. Whatever.  
  
Have a nice day, thanks for reading my fic, and review if you like! Auf Wiedersehen!  
  
~ Stellar  
  
THANK YOU, TO ALL MY FABULOUS REVIWERS:  
  
Letter Writers: Thanks for the compliment! I'm glad you like it so far…yeah, it's rather hard to stray too far from the cliches (since that is all you read, ya know?) but I'm trying! I will write more as soon as I can!  
  
QueenOfTheQueer: I will continue! Promise! ^-^ Thanks for the review! I've read The Power Within, and I really like it! Please keep writing!  
  
Felicity Aulia Evans: As I said, I will continue! Thanks for the review! I appreciate it a lot! Drive Me Crazy is a great fic! You are very talented!  
  
Thistlemeg: Thank you for reviewing! If Only They Had Listened To The Fanfic is so funny! Yeah, what is with those Ravenclaws, huh? Next chapter is up!  
  
Erin: Thanks so much for reviewing! I'm definitely writing some more…now, if only I can manage to do that AND write my research paper for school…arrgh! Glad you liked my fic!  
  
Seshat: Gosh, thank you for the compliments! I am trying really hard to make this fic really nice (and accurate). Thanks for those two stories too…I've read them both before and I think they are awesome! You are such a talented writer! I'll email you when my next chapter is posted!  
  
Eternity: Thank you for the helpful review. Yeah, the author's notes are mainly to clarify some points that I wanted to say…I promise I'll keep them much fewer! About the whole age thing too…they are in their 6th year, not their fifth. So technically, if they began first years at age 11 or 12, then James being 17 is quite feasible. I just want them to end as 18 year olds. But thanks for the ideas, and I'm glad that my portrayal of Peter was to your liking!  
  
Abforth: Thanks so much for reviewing my fanfic! I am very happy that you like it—trying to keep everything realistic and "down-to-earth" is hard, and I hope everything I am writing is accurate. Thanks for the compliment!  
  
Skye: Thanks for reviewing! I really appreciate it! I hope to post my next chapter really soon!  
  
Thanks again! ^-^ 


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: All characters belong to Ms. J.K. Rowling and people of that sort. I only own the characters I make up. Other than that, please don't sue!  
  
And on with the story…^-^  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
"Sshh, do you think she's awake?"  
  
Lily stirred as she heard some faint noises, slowly shaking her out of her deep slumber. She turned, burying her head further into her soft pillow.  
  
"I don't know, but it's already 11:30. She can't sleep forever." Light footsteps could be heard leading toward her four-poster.  
  
Now certain that she heard noises in her dorm, Lily cautiously opened an emerald eye to scan her room for the noisy visitors. Expecting to find Remus or Juliet, she saw nothing but her desk and Juliet's empty bed across the room. Mentally shrugging, Lily closed her eyes again, hoping to eradicate the memories of the sounds out of her mind. It was Saturday now, and she deserved to be able to sleep in. After a tiring first week of school, complete with a chaotic Prefect meeting and three tutoring sessions after her classes, all Lily wanted to do was sleep, in order to recover and rejuvenate for the next week.  
  
Just as she was about to fall asleep again, she felt a large weight crawl upon her stomach. The large weight began to lick her face profusely. 'What the hell…?' Lily shifted, trying to get the heaviness off her. She opened her eyes, and her verdant irises met with soft brown ones. On her stomach lay a large black dog, panting and raising its paw to Lily.  
  
"Sirius Black, get off me this instant." Lily sighed as she tried to heave Sirius, in his Animagi form, off her bed. Sirius the dog licked Lily's face one more time before he promptly switched back to his human form, laying on her bed.  
  
"G'day Lily! How's my favourite redhead this morning? Sleep well?" He lounged on the end of her four-poster as Lily crawled out of her bed and headed toward her dresser. He handed her one of her Muggle sweatshirts that was lying on a nearby chair when she trembled lightly in her tank top. After combing her hair, Lily turned and addressed Sirius.  
  
"I'm doing quite well, Sirius. I was sleeping peacefully until a large Black dog decided to grace me with his presence early this morning. But I think it was the licking that was the most UNappreciated." Lily rubbed a hand across her cheek and made a face to Sirius, who was laughing. She smiled and turned around and began backing up slowly to her dresser. "Where's Juliet? I noticed that her bed was empty. Where are James, Remus, and Peter?"  
  
Sirius replied, "Juliet is down in the Great Hall with Remus and Peter eating breakfast. They left around an hour ago. But as for James…" Sirius voice faded.  
  
"James what?" Lily said as she backed up, until some sharp pointy objects poked into her back. She quickly turned around and came face to face with a stoic male stag. His head was bent, so that is why she ran into his antlers.  
  
Lily smirked and put hand hers on her slim waist. "You too? Goodness, I thought having one animal was enough to wake me up this morning. Let me guess, it was your idea to sneak up on me this morning?" She feigned an angry look as James the stag crept closer to her, attempting to soothe her 'angry' gaze with his most angelic expression. His hazel eyes became large and round, and he rubbed his muzzle against her arm.  
  
"Please, James…those Bambi eyes aren't getting you out of this." Lily said as James' expression turned from pleading to that of cute desperation. She laughed as she stated, "But since I'm such a nice person, I'm letting you off the hook." A twinkle appeared on James' eyes as he promptly returned to his human state.  
  
"We did it out of your best interest Lils. I swear, you would have slept through Christmas holiday is we didn't wake you up!" James stated, matter- of-factly. Lily smiled and shook her head.  
  
"Oh, I should be grateful then? That you guys barged into my room? Whatever…Alright, OUT, you two. I have to change. I'll meet you in the Common Room." Sirius and James left, as Lily pulled her robes out of her dresser.  
  
Ten minutes later, after Lily brushed her teeth and changed into her robes, the trio headed towards the moving staircases to the Great Hall. Sirius was talking about how famished he was.  
  
"I'm going to have some bacon, and then I'm going to have some eggs. I really hope they are scrambled, though poached isn't bad. Or lightly boiled. Egg benedict sounds tasty right now. And them probably about 8 slices of toast with some jam…" He was cut off by Lily.  
  
"Geez, Sirius, a bit hungry? My gosh, slow down…you might get indigestion before actually stepping into the Hall!" Lily laughed as Sirius' smile became even wider.  
  
"You've known me for about five years, Lily. Haven't you realized my eating potential by now? You know that I—"  
  
"…am a bottomless pit when it comes to eating?" James inserted smartly, giving a knowing look to Lily, who giggled.  
  
Sirius squinted his eyes. "I think the correct term is 'robust appetite', but bottomless pit comes pretty close though. Whatever. I stay trim though," he said rubbing his flat stomach.  
  
"Yeah, mainly from all that running away from Filch and Professor McGonagall, and any other teacher who threatens you with detention." James said. "But hey, at least you're working out." They reached the Great Hall and walked over to the area where Remus, Peter, and Juliet were eating. Lily slid in the bench next to Remus as James and Sirius sat with Peter on the other side.  
  
Juliet turned to Lily and asked, "Hey? Did you start your Advanced Muggle Language translation yet? I think I might have confused some of my definitions." Lily nodded as she took another piece of toast from the platter.  
  
"Yeah, I somewhat started my first draft. It's in Aramaic, and I really find that time-consuming to look up all those words. But Sirius takes that class too, so you can ask him." Lily responded, pointing to Sirius, who was busy demolishing another plate of bacon, must to the kitchen elf's astonishment as he walked by.  
  
Sirius swallowed and said, "Well, my translation so far is: 'I am the walrus, I am the walrus, Paul is dead, Koo-koo-ka-choo.' But since there isn't an Aramaic word for 'walrus', I directly translated it to 'I am the bearded, cow-like sea beast.'" James and Remus laughed as Lily and Juliet looked at Sirius with confused looks.  
  
"Isn't it a poem about springtime?" Juliet asked timidly. Lily nodded.  
  
"Yeah, that's what I thought too."  
  
Sirius shrugged. "Oh well. It's just my own personal interpretation. You know…walruses are usually attributed to spring…uh, yeah." Lily turned her head and spoke.  
  
"Speaking of bearded, cow-like sea beasts…"  
  
At that moment, Sophie Welles, wearing a very low-cut top underneath her robe walked up to the table, obviously looking for James.  
  
Lily smirked and said, "James, it looks like your faithful tutee is here and she needs someth—James?" She looked across from her, where James was sitting, and there was an empty spot next to Sirius. "Where did James go?"  
  
Noticing that James was missing, Sophie continued her strut down the Great Hall, wiggling her butt profusely as she passed the Hufflepuff Quidditch team, as they were preparing for tryouts later the next week.  
  
Lily shrugged as she felt a slight tugging at her leg. She looked underneath the table and saw James hunching his tall frame beneath the large table.  
  
"James, what on Earth are you doing under the table?" Lily asked as Sirius gave James the 'all clear' signal, and James crawled back up to the bench.  
  
"I wanted a closer look at your lovely shoes, Lily…what did it LOOK like I was doing? I was protecting myself from potential sexual harassment from Sophie." Lily laughed as she watched James glance cautiously around the Hall for Sophie.  
  
"James Potter? Hiding from a girl? A girl that practically throws herself at him? The world has finally come to an end!" Remus and Peter, who has been sitting quietly eating on the sidelines, laughed out loud to Lily's observation.  
  
"Har har. Very witty. But seriously, it's pretty sad. I mean, I tutored her twice this week, and it was basically me sitting in the library, explaining really easy Transfiguration spells as she just sat there and stared at my face. It was really freaking me out. And then, after the Prefect meeting, I was speaking to Lindsay about when she was scheduling the Quidditch Captains meeting, and Sophie nearly had a fit. I mean, dude, leave me alone!" James sighed. Remus spoke up next.  
  
"Gosh, I'm sorry. I mean, hopefully this obsession won't last that long. They usually don't, right? I mean, she WILL get bored of you after a while. You aren't that exciting. No offense James." James smiled a weak smile.  
  
"Yeah, I just hope that will occur sooner than later."  
  
~*~  
  
After eating breakfast, the gang slowly moved back to the Common Room to decide what to do for the rest of the afternoon. Most of them had already finished their homework, so they were deciding between going outside and flying and staying inside and talking. Lily, on the other hand, had to go to Dumbledore's office for a quick meeting.  
  
Lily hurried down the corridor until she reached his office. After whispering the password, the door opened and Dumbledore looked up and ushered her inside.  
  
"Good afternoon, Ms. Evans. Thank you for arriving so promptly for this meeting." Lily smiled shyly.  
  
"Good afternoon, Professor Dumbledore. What is it that you need from me?" She inquired, crossing her ankles as she sat on the chair across from Dumbledore.  
  
"Yes, well, it has come to my attention that you have taken your placement tests earlier this week, correct?" Lily nodded, remembering the quizzes that she took in the beginning of the week that validated her position in many of her advanced classes. Dumbledore continued.  
  
"I'm proud to say that your results from those tests are incredibly superb—you have quite a lot of talent, Ms. Evans." Lily blushed and thanked Dumbledore for his compliment. "So much in fact, I don't want to see such talent and potential wasted. I would like to offer you some options here at Hogwarts which can hone your skills as a witch; to help you become as powerful as you obviously can be." Dumbledore ushered Lily to come closer to him.  
  
"Ms. Evans, I know you have a very challenging course load this year, but there are some small, private tutorial sessions you can take on the side here that can help hone your skills. More advanced charms, apparation, and even some wandless magic skills." Lily was shocked to hear about all those classes. 'Wow, wandless magic? I have the potential to do wandless magic?'  
  
Dumbledore sensed Lily's shock and smiled. "Now, you don't have to take this option. But there are some other students who are, and I think it might be a great opportunity for you to learn." Dumbledore started naming some names of students in the school who had already agreed to be a part of that plan. Lily recognized a few of the names, but they were mainly seventh years. "And I believe your good friend Mr. Potter has decided in participating in this program." Lily smiled. She figured James was surely capable in mastering the advanced magic. She responded to Dumbledore's request of her presence.  
  
"That sounds like a very wonderful opportunity. I would love to be a part of that. I might have to change some of my tutoring sessions to accommodate the extra work load, but I would be honored to be a part of that group." Dumbledore smiled and agreed to help Lily fix her schedule to a more manageable workload. Lily thanked Dumbledore again, and left his room with high spirits.  
  
~*~  
  
Lily felt as if she was on Cloud Nine. As she waltzed through the hallway back to the Gryffindor wing, she felt as if nothing in the world could shatter her happiness. But, of course, she spoke too soon.  
  
At that moment, Snape and some of his Slytherin gang were in view and they slowly approached Lily as they crossed in the hallway.  
  
"Well, well, if it isn't the little mudblood skipping back to go to her friends." Snape said with a sneer, crossing his arms across his chest.  
  
Not wanting to cause a scene, Lily mumbled a "Yeah" as she started to lean toward the direction of the Gryffindor tower. She could not possible take on 5 Slytherins in the hallway alone. She figured the faster she got of the situation, the better.  
  
Snape sensed her apprehension. "Oh, is the little mudblood scared? Scared that some Slytherin will beat her up? Realizing that she is truly much weaker than a pureblood?" The sharp, painful words hurt Lily, but she tried to brush them off.  
  
"Go away, stupid mudblood. I don't even want you in my presence." Snape concluded as he was about to push Lily. He was just about to shove her when a deep voice boomed from the other end of the hallway.  
  
"Don't you dare touch her, Snape. Go pick on someone at your own stupidity level." Lily sighed a long breath of relief as she saw James walk up from the shadows with Sirius right beside him. The two looked very angry.  
  
"Well, isn't it the charming Potter, here to save his mudblood girlfriend's butt again. She can't do it on her own." Snape sneered, turning away from Lily. Lily resisted the urge to deck Snape, right there in the hallway.  
  
Sirius turned and spoke up. "Leave Lily alone. She didn't do anything to you. Do us all a favor and use your energy for something that's actually useful. Like bathing." One of the Slytherins giggled as Snape through him a nasty glare. Snape grunted, and continued down the hallway, his Slytherin friends in tow. Lily smiled a grateful smile to Sirius and James.  
  
"Thanks a lot you guys. I can usually handle him, but not when there are four other Slytherins around. Thanks for standing up for me." James smiled and brushed her comment off.  
  
"Naah, it was nothing. That's what good friends are for. How dare his pick on you and all the other Muggle-born people at Hogwarts. What an jerk." Sirius nodded his agreement.  
  
"Yeah, it's his insecurity that does it. And his damn attitude. It's like he has something permanently stuck up his ass or something." The friends laughed as they continued on their way back to the Gryffindor Common Room to meet Remus, Juliet, and Peter.  
  
~*~  
  
A/N: That concludes chapter 3. A little shorter than the rest (only 2 scenes), but still quite decent for a novice writer like me! Sorry there was so much about Lily in this one. I really like her. If you have any suggestions on how this story may turn, please feel free and tell me! Input is greatly appreciated!  
  
Hey…to all readers who caught my X-Files reference…yeah, just finished watching Hollywood A.D. rerun and I thought that would be cute to add in. ^- ^ Thanks David for that great line! Great episode too!  
  
Hope to post next chapter soon…gotta think of some new plot twists…L/J coming, but not just yet!  
  
~ Stellar  
  
Thanks to those who reviewed, also! I appreciate them very much! ….  
  
Thistlemeg: Glad you liked my chocolate frogs episode…yeah, my guy friends do stuff like that all the time…boys will be boys, I guess…hehe. Must be some testosterone thing. Whatever. Sophie is so weird. Thanks for the review!  
  
Wildbeastlover: Thank you for reviewing! Glad you liked the condom comment. ^-^ Sirius is an awesome character—I hope to portray him as witty and loyal friend. Great in the books and in the fics! Glad my characters are effective in evoking real emotions towards them! Sophie is such a wierdo! Hope to keep posting my new chapters at this fast rate!  
  
Quinn: Thanks for reading my fic and reviewing! I really appreciate it! Yeah, I am trying to stray away from the usual "James is so great, and Lily is so pretty" fics. I mean, they are great and pretty, but that is not all of their character. Thanks so much! I am writing as fast as I can! 


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: Yes, yes…they aren't mine. And never will be. But a girl can dream, right?  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
"Let's see,' said James, gazing down at his timetable later the next week. "Gosh, I can't even remember my schedule. It's been such a tiring first couple of weeks. Ummm, I have Potions with the Slytherins next…rats."  
  
"Quite literally," muttered Sirius walking quickly next to James through the dark, busy corridor. Charms had just ended, and the pair waved goodbye to Lily and Remus as they headed toward their respective classes. Sirius got to his next classroom and said goodbye to James until the met again in Transfiguration next.  
  
Potions went fairly well without much trouble. James tried hiding himself in the corner, but Sophie Welles managed to spot the vacant seat next to him and planter herself there. Luckily, the Professor was only lecturing on certain mystical ingredients, so it didn't involve James having to communicate with Sophie at all. Nonetheless, the Ravenclaw tried her best to touch, rub, and grope the poor Gryffindor throughout the entire class period, subsequently forcing James to run out of the classroom as soon as the professor dismissed them.  
  
His next lesson was Transfiguration. Sirius, who had arrived to the class earlier, saved James a seat in the back and the two began to start their work for the day. Professor McGonagall was refreshing their memories by making them all turn quills into combs again. As most people completed this task without very much difficulty, she moved them onto the far more difficult task of changing rocks into crystals. Only James managed it, producing a large handful of crystals by the end of the lesson. He was rewarded by not required to do the assigned homework, which seemed to irritate Sirius for some reason.  
  
"Stupid git," he said, as they were walking down to the Great Hall for lunch. "Just 'cause you're so clever, you get let off homework." James laughed.  
  
"Don't worry about it, Sirius. I'll probably end up doing yours for you anyway."  
  
"Damn right."  
  
"What's going on?" said Remus, who had been talking to Peter, when James and Sirius approached their spot at the table. "James's is going to do our homework for us? Ooh, goody."  
  
"Is this true, James?" came Lily's voice from behind, and she sat down next to James. "Feel free to do all of mine too. That would surely make my day."  
  
"What on Earth's this?" said James, laughing. "James Potter-does-your- homework-for-you day?'  
  
"If you're volunteering –" Peter began, but he stopped talking immediately, because he was too busy laughing, and it was apparent to everyone in the Great Hall why. Everyone turned to the direction that Peter was look at, towards the Slytherin table.  
  
What they saw was Snape bunny hopping towards the Slytherin table. He had been hit with what was undoubtedly the leg-locker curse. Everyone at the surrounding Gryffindor and Hufflepuff table were doubled up with laughter.  
  
"What happened to Snapey boy?" Sirius asked, holding back his laughter.  
  
"So-Sophie Welles," whispered Juliet, who had been sitting at the table for quite some time now.  
  
"What did she do to him?" said James, still chuckling.  
  
"Leg-locker," said Juliet, with a wry smile. "Git was insulting you again," she motioned to James.  
  
"She's a weird one, but pretty funny that she defended you, Jamesie" said Sirius. "Anything she can do to protect the love of her life, the father of her child! I'm just glad to see the rat is being punished."  
  
James threw Sirius a nasty glare, but continued to grab a sandwich off the silver platter. "About time the rat is being punished." He laughed.  
  
~*~  
  
One classes were finally over, the friends gathered one again in the hallway and headed back up toward the Gryffindor Common Room. All except James, who was attending the Quidditch Captains' meeting out by the Quidditch pitch. James was not the captain the team, but an assistant. If he managed to continue his great Quidditch efforts, he would most likely replace the seventh year captain, Anton Avery, and be the Gryffindor Captain next year. But all assistants were required to attend the meetings also, just in case the captains cannot attend.  
  
Sirius, Remus, Lily, Juliet, and Peter entered the Gryffindor wing and whispered the password to get beyond the Fat Lady. Once inside, they flopped onto the couches and chairs and began to do their homework.  
  
By two-thirty that next afternoon, the Gryffindor sixth years made their way down to the Quidditch pitch for their flying lessons. They weren't exactly lessons, since they learned how to fly second year, but it served as a 'physical education course', or a poor excuse for making the Hogwarts students exercise, instead of pulling pranks on each other. Unfortunately, this was another class that the Gryffindors shared with the Slytherins, and they were already there, waiting for them.  
  
James could also see the Gryffindor Quidditch Captain, Anton Avery, to whom he gave thumbs up – Anton returned the cordial gesture – and Graham Roberts, the Slytherin Quidditch captain, talking to Snape and laughing. Madam Hooch, who was overseeing the lesson, was waiting impatiently as the Gryffindors came onto the field with their brooms. As she had done the previous years before, Madam Hooch instructed the pupils to stand next to a broom each and kick off, hard. Sirius was having fun racing with Remus and Juliet as they were floating high towards the clouds on their brooms. James was busy talking and flying with Anton, while Lily stayed closer toward Hogwarts. She wasn't that particularly fond of flying, but she did find it thrilling sometimes to be high in the air, away with the birds and being away from all the pressures of school on the ground. Half and hour went by and just as Madam Hooch was about call everybody down to reconvene before they were sent up again, there was a shout behind her.  
  
Thomas NeMander was lying on the ground, practically screaming his Slytherin head off, and evidently in a great deal of pain. He was moaning and groaning as Gryffindors and Slytherins began lowering down from midair to see what was the matter. She instructed Anton to keep watching over the lesson, and she took Thomas off to the Hospital Wing. James hovered next to Sirius in the air, with Lily just behind them.  
  
"What happened to him?" he asked Sirius.  
  
"Dunno. He probably fell off his broom."  
  
"Oh, that's alright then," said Lily. "All little mud and grass won't hurt the Slytherin. Be good for them." Sirius and James grinned. Suddenly, Remus shouted to them.  
  
"James!! Sirius!! Lily!! Behind you!!' James turned and saw a ripple of light flying straight at the three of them. He knew immediately where it was from. He dived, and so did Sirius. Lily was too slow. The light, whatever it was, hit her full on, and she was thrown directly off her high- flying broom.  
  
"Lily!!" cried James and Sirius simultaneously. She fell, at least twenty feet, and hit the ground, with a sickening thud. She was unconscious and pale. Juliet gasped loudly.  
  
James flew towards Remus in a hurried state. He had a feeling the Slytherins had something to do with the shot of light, and how it was probably meant to hit him off his broom. Unfortunately, that plan backfired and it sent Lily flying off of hers.  
  
"Remus, you and Sirius deal with Snape and the others. I'll take Lily up to the Hospital Wing." Remus looked more than willing. James watched him swoop down to where Sirius was; he had one fleeting glance of Sirius, Remus, Juliet and Anton Avery approaching the Slytherins, wands bared, before he sped down to help Lily.  
  
Most of the Gryffindors were crowded around her, but James took charge. It was lucky he was so strong from Quidditch. He managed to lift Lily onto his broomstick and took off towards the castle. He was not very experienced in sharing a broomstick, especially with an incapacitated being, but he got up to the castle very quickly. He dismounted, and kicked open the door into the Entrance Hall. It was empty. He just about managed to carry Lily up to the Hospital Wing, where Madam Pomfrey was talking seriously to Madam Hooch about Thomas NeMander.  
  
"He wasn't hurt at all, I don't know – Potter! What are you doing?" she said, spotting James.  
  
"Lily," he gasped, placing her down on one of the beds. "Fell off her broom."  
  
"And you carried her all the way up here?" asked Madam Hooch, eyeing him suspiciously.  
  
"Flew – to the castle – carried her here," James replied, still short of breath. "She's unconscious."  
  
"Potter, stay with her. You! Come with me." Her last remark was directed towards Thomas NeMander, who was looking highly pleased with himself, and certainly not injured. He grinned when he saw Lily. James would have hit him, but under the watchful eyes of Madam Hooch and Madam Pomfrey he merely glared at Thomas. This was nothing compared to Madam Hooch. She looked livid, and she pulled Avery out after her roughly.  
  
"You can stay here with Lily, James" said Madam Pomfrey. "She should come round in a few minutes. That was very noble of you, carrying her up here like that." James shrugged.  
  
"Couldn't leave her lying there, could I?" he said, grinning  
  
"No," replied Madam Pomfrey, smiling with a knowing look on her face. "No, of course not, dear." She strolled off to her office.  
  
Presently, Lily woke up. She looked a little dazed, especially when she turned to see James' face above her.  
  
"You awake, Sleeping Beauty?" he asked her, smiling, referring back to a Muggle fairy tale she once read him.  
  
"James?" she said dazedly. "Where am I? What happened?"  
  
"Hospital Wing," he told her. "You fell off your broom, and was unconscious for a while."  
  
"What?! How?"  
  
"Snape, I think. They used Thomas NeMander to get Madam Hooch out of the way."  
  
"Why?"  
  
"I don't think they were trying to aim at you. They were probably trying to knock me or Sirius off. Didn't help that Sophie put him in a leg-locker curse because of me."  
  
"Yeah," said Lily laughing. "Ow," she added, clutching her leg. She ran a hand over her leg, trying to soothe the pain.  
  
"You all right?" James asked concernedly. "You fell nearly twenty feet."  
  
"Yeah, I'll live. Just my leg that hurts. Definitely going to be limping for a while."  
  
"I suspect that Madam Pomfrey can fix that in a flash. Give you some nice, yummy, scary-colored potion to drink and you'll be on your way back on the broom in no time. Yeah, here she comes." Madam Pomfrey was approaching Lily's bed with a goblet of something in her hand.  
  
"Here you are, dear," she said kindly. "Drink this, and the pain should stop in a few minutes. I'll go get something to wrap your leg for now too. The potion will make you drowsy in about half an hour, though."  
  
Lily took the goblet, and drained it in one large swallow. She them pulled a face that James though made her look like a Slytherin. She blinked her eyes a couple times and shook her head.  
  
"Nice?" he asked her innocently.  
  
"Hardly."  
  
~*~  
  
Meanwhile, before Sirius or Remus could inflict any more damage to Snape, they had placed some well-put curses on Snape and his now non-existent clothing, Madam Hooch had returned and promptly punished Snape and Thomas for their stupid ploys. She detailed everyone about Lily's state and proceeded to give Snape and Thomas detentions for the next two weeks. She gave Snape an extra glare and detention for not wearing enough clothing to class, as she eyed him with only his boxers on. Sirius couldn't help but stifle a loud laugh.  
  
Sirius, Remus, and Juliet were more concerned about Lily. After class was dismissed, they all went to the Hospital Wing to see how their friend was doing. They found her sitting up in bed, with the potion having run its course.  
  
"Are you alright, Lily?" asked Sirius seriously.  
  
"Fine," said Lily, whose leg was now better, and practically looked like normal.  
  
"Did you get Snape?" asked James. Sirius and Remus grinned guiltily. Peter smiled.  
  
"Of course we did," said Sirius. "I don't think he'll be trying to knock people off their broomsticks for a while."  
  
"It was probably a good thing that you brought Lily up to the castle, James," said Remus. "You looked ready to put the Cruciatus curse on Snape." James smiled wryly at Remus' comment.  
  
"You brought me up to the castle?" said Lily, stunned. "I thought it was Madam Pomfrey."  
  
"Nah," replied James, smiling again. "I wasn't going to leave you lying there. Had to get you up here quickly."  
  
"How did you?"  
  
"On the back of his broomstick," said Peter. Lily was still looking amazed.  
  
"Er, thanks, James," she said, unconsciously blushing  
  
"Anything for a lady," he said courteously.  
  
"So you wouldn't carry me up here, if I got injured?" said Sirius challengingly.  
  
"Course I would. You're close enough to a lady." Everyone laughed.  
  
Some time later, Madam Pomfrey bustled over.  
  
"Come on you lot, out! Lily needs some rest! I think you should probably stay in overnight, dear. You can have two people to stay with you for a while longer, but no more." Lily nodded, and pointed to Juliet and James, who sat down in two chairs next to her. Sirius and the rest left for Gryffindor Tower.  
  
As Madam Pomfrey went back into her office, Lily yawned loudly.  
  
"You wanna try going back to sleep, Lily?' James asked. "That potion's drowsiness effects seem to be kicking in again."  
  
"Yeah, I'll see you – you la –" She fell asleep before she could finish her sentence.  
  
"C'mon," James whispered to Juliet. "Let's go back to the Tower." Juliet nodded mutely, and after James had thanked Madam Pomfrey, the two of them left the Hospital Wing and headed for Gryffindor Tower.  
  
"That was really nice, you know, James, what you did for Lily," said Juliet, in the hallway, as they walked back up to the Common Room.  
  
"Thanks," replied James. "Still, I would have helped anyone in that situation, even Sirius."Juliet laughed.  
  
"How did you manage to carry her all that way?"  
  
"She's very light."  
  
"Or you're very strong."  
  
"Bit of both, I guess," said James, grinning  
  
"Sirius's right. You're too modest a times. Geez louise."  
  
"You could be right. But what would you prefer, modest James or egotistical James?"  
  
"Point taken." Laughing, they reached the portrait hole, and said the password to the Fat Lady. Sirius noticed Juliet and James enter the Common Room and promptly stood on the couch.  
  
"Here he is, ladies and gentlemen!" he shouted. "The hero!" James laughed.  
  
"Same old Sirius," he muttered into Juliet's ear. She laughed again.  
  
"Aha! What is this?" said Sirius, in a mock serious tone. "Saving one fair damsel from ugly rats and then whispering sweet nothings into another fair damsel's ear? Thou disgusteth me, Sir James of Potter." James dissolved into uncontrollable laughter. Times like these when Sirius was about the funniest person in the world, in James' eyes.  
  
"And now thou laughest at my quibbles," Sirius continued, in the same tone. "I challengeth thee to a duel!" He had said the magic words. James whipped out his wand and cried "Rictusempra!" again, through his laughter, before Sirius could move out of the way. James continued laughing, but he wasn't the only one now.  
  
It would have undoubtedly been a funny sight, entering the Gryffindor common room at that point. Sirius was lying on the floor, hardly able to breathe from his uncontrollable laughing, and everyone around him was laughing as well. James finally managed to contain himself long enough to mutter the counter-curse, but then he burst out laughing again when he saw Sirius' face.  
  
"They ought to get rid of that damn laughing curse," he said with mock disgust. "Bane of my existence."  
  
"So – so – sorry, Sirius," James gasped, just managing to contain his laughter. "But you did challengeth me to a duel."  
  
"Note to self," said Sirius. "Never challenge James Potter to a duel again."  
  
"Note to self," said Juliet, joining in. "When falling off a broom, make sure James Potter is around to get special treatment. Especially if I'm Lily." She smirked, but noticed James' sudden change in facial expression.  
  
"Note to self," said Remus. "Your friends are mostly insane."  
  
"Note to Remus," James laughed, recovering from thought of Lily. "YOUR friends are completely insane." They continued in this vein for quite a long time, until Sirius eventually persuaded everyone to shut up and get some sleep.  
  
~*~  
  
A/N: And there goes chapter 4. Phew.  
  
So much to do…huge AP bio test, Hon English research paper, and everything else. ::Sigh::  
  
Thanks for reading! Review if you'd like! Take care!  
  
~ Stellar  
  
Vielen Dank…thistlemeg, Seshat, and Quinn for your reviews! They are very much appreciated! Thanks for reading my story! 


	5. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: Yes, yes…they aren't mine. And never will be. But a girl can dream, right?  
  
Bring on Chapter 5! ^-^ Enjoy!  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
A couple weeks later, Lily was released from the Hospital Wing and things started heading back to normal at Hogwarts. Snape and Thomas served their detentions diligently, while giving James, Sirius, and Remus dirty looks in the hallways. There wasn't much fighting between the two groups for a while.  
  
Throughout that ordeal, Quidditch tryouts and practices had begun. Anton and James recruited some new beaters and chasers onto the Gryffindor team, and after a few intense practices had perfected their teamwork to an art. James had a big feeling that the Gryffindor team would perform exceptionally well this year with their talented and dedicated group of players.  
  
That dedication was put to the test when their first game was scheduled in the middle of October. It was the first game of their season, and it was bound to be a good one. Hogwarts students from all houses attended the upcoming game of Gryffindor vs. Ravenclaw.  
  
That day, James was a mixture of nervousness and excitement. After a long grueling month of school, he was anxious to return to the Quidditch pitch for a fast-paced, thrilling game. His enthusiasm was evident in his constant fidgety habits the night before the game.  
  
Sitting in the Common Room with Remus, James was attempting to play a game of chess.  
  
"Prongs, if you don't stop squirming, I swear I'm gonna take off my tie and strap you to the chair." Remus said with mock agitation, understanding his friend's emotions.  
  
James sighed, "I'm sorry, Moony. It's just that I can't wait for the game. It's going to be awesome tomorrow. I cannot wait to be on my broom, sailing around for the snitch." James continued to move his rook, trying not to fidget, for Remus' sake.  
  
An hour passed by, and Remus began to yawn. The pair had been playing for a while, and it was getting time for them to go to bed. James cleaned up the chessboard as Remus pushed the table away from the fire back against the wall. As they turned around, they saw Sirius and Lily enter through the portrait hole.  
  
Lily waved to James and Remus and said, "Hey guys. Good luck at your game tomorrow, James. You'll do a magnificent job. You always do. Good night everyone." She left the three guys and headed up the stairs toward her own dorm.  
  
That night, James laid in his bed, not sleeping for a while. Finally, when his tiredness prevailed, he dreamt a phantasmagoric mix of golden snitches, chess pieces, and dancing lilies.  
  
~*~  
  
In the changing rooms the next afternoon, none of the Gryffindor Quidditch players said very much. James pulled on his scarlet Quidditch robes over his t-shirt and jumper he was wearing for warmth from the cold. Anton gave a few words of encouragement and strategy to the team before leading them out of the door and into the stadium.  
  
Clutching his broom tightly, James stared at the gigantic stadium around him, looking around for his friends. He took in again the immense size of the stadium as he gazed around the crowd, finally catching the eye of Sirius and Remus. Juliet and Lily were sitting with them, in the middle of the giant crowd of cheering Gryffindors.  
  
The Gryffindors sat toward his left, decked out with flags and banners of scarlet. Behind where James was entering the pitch were the Slytherins, decked out in green, their own house colors. They seemed to be booing both the houses taking part. The Hufflepuffs were at the far end of the pitch. There was a variation of colors in their stand. Some people were holding up yellow flags, the color of Hufflepuff, and yet many were holding up flags of blue and scarlet to support either the Gryffindors or Ravenclaws. The Ravenclaws themselves were seated on the right hand side, a enormous mass of blue. The large crowds were almost overwhelming to James as he entered the pitch.  
  
James could see the Ravenclaws entering the pitch on the far side, from the Hufflepuff end. Anton walked to the center of the pitch and shook hands with Kurt Pnin, the Ravenclaw captain and Seeker. Madam Hooch, who was to be refereeing the game, was decked out in her black Quidditch robes, and had the trunk of balls under her arm. When the captains had shaken hands, Madam Hooch released the balls, and blew shrilly on her whistle. They were off. The fans were screaming.  
  
James kicked off quickly and all fleeting feelings of nervousness disappeared immediately. He was suddenly confident. He spotted the Quaffle hanging as though waiting in midair, and watched the new Chaser William Hansler speed towards it. He noticed a Ravenclaw Chaser do the same. William succeeded to put on a sudden spurt of speed, and managed to grab the Quaffle before the Ravenclaw. He flew into the air, dodged a Bludger, and sped off towards the Ravenclaw goalposts.  
  
"GRYFFINDOR SCORE! Gryffindor's newest Chaser has just set a new twenty- second record! Congratulations to William Hansler!" James could hear the Gryffindors below screaming their hearts out, but he focused on the game. A Ravenclaw had the gained possession of the Quaffle; one of the Gryffindors needed to get behind him. Suddenly, a Bludger came pelting straight at James. He had to twirl over in mid-air to avoid it. He flew graceful circles, keeping his eye out on the snitch. He loops and turns managed to confuse and distract Kurt, the Ravenclaw Seeker, from his own quest from the snitch.  
  
Back in the stands, all of the Gryffindors except for James and the other members on the team were hanging on the edge of their seats, watching every moment. They were enraptured by the excitement of the game.  
  
"He's brilliant," said Remus breathlessly. "I've never seen anyone fly that well."  
  
"Ooh, I can't watch," said Lily, as James dove down to check out something that flew by his ear.  
  
"And this time, Anton Avery has the Quaffle, the Ravenclaw Keeper comes out to meet him – Anton squares it – GRYFFINDOR SCORE! That play was nicely assisted by Carrie Anne Smyth." Anton and James high-fived in mid-air. Anton high-fived Carrie Anne too. The Ravenclaws were looking stunned. Kurt Pnin began bellowing harsh words at his Chasers.  
  
"How does he manage to stay on?" said Lily, looking at James, who had just rolled over in mid-air to avoid a Bludger.  
  
"He's a natural," said Juliet from behind her. "And I just thought he was clever."  
  
"You learn something new every day," said Peter pensively.  
  
After another hour, Gryffindor had pulled ahead by eighty points, but there was no sign of the Golden Snitch. The Gryffindors had managed to score five times, and the longer they played, the more they were enjoying it. The Ravenclaws were starting to pick up the pace, however. Their Chaser Andrew Ritter had already scored twice, and it was a close match between who could catch the golden snitch—James and Ravenclaw's seventh year, and team captain, Kurt Pnin.  
  
"C'mon mates!" Sirius roared, as Anton put the Quaffle through the Ravenclaw hoops again. Suddenly, James saw something that made his heart stop. The Snitch was fluttering down by the Gryffindor goalposts, and Kurt Pnin was much closer to it than he was from his position in the middle of the field. Luckily, Kurt had not spotted it yet. As great as a Seeker James was, he knew it would be a very hard task to out-fly Kurt with his great skills and Kurt's new high-tech broom.  
  
'The only way to do this safely is to fake Kurt out,' he called as he streaked past his teammates, and, faking a look of concentration, sped back towards the Ravenclaw goals. It did the trick. Kurt, thinking he'd seen the Snitch, soared after him. When James looked back, the Snitch had disappeared from the Gryffindor goals. He was looking cautiously around when Madam Hooch's whistle rang out. Somebody – a Ravenclaw – had been hit with a Bludger and had collided with William Hansler. Both players were lying on the ground, and Kurt and Anton had both called a time out. James glided slowly back to the ground, along with the other Quidditch players from both teams. Madam Pomfrey was standing over the two injured players. Anton flew over to where James was resting.  
  
"Beautiful flying, James," he said, his eyes gleaming. "We're beating the 'Claws in points right now, and I have utter faith that you will get the snitch. You always do." Anton patted James on the shoulder.  
  
"Right," said James. "Ha, it looks as if Kurt isn't feeling so great right now." He nodded over to where Kurt Pnin was berating his team again. Anton laughed.  
  
"C'mon, I think we're back on," he said, as Madam Hooch blew her whistle again.  
  
Once the whistle was blown and the game continued, Chasers for both sides increased their efforts. Soon, the teams were getting close to the same score.  
  
Everyone turned to watch the two Seekers getting back down into a low, fast dive, obviously seeing the snitch near the ground. Kurt was ahead and was gaining on the Snitch every second. He bent low on his broom and shot down towards the snitch, which was sailing parallel to the ground. James was directly to Kurt's right, inching closer and closer to the snitch also.  
  
Suddenly the snitch moved to Kurt's left, further away from James, but continued to sail forward close to the grass. Kurt leaned over on his broom and tried reach for the snitch, but it was still a couple inches away from his grasp. James, on the wrong side now, was trying to lean over and get the snitch too. After throwing nasty glares to each other, the two Seekers were still teased by the quick-sailing snitch that was just beyond their reach.  
  
'Just a couple inches further,' muttered James to himself, as he was reaching for the snitch over Kurt. Some of the crowd seemed to notice what he was doing, and the noise increased substantially, but James couldn't hear. He was just concentrating on getting the snitch. Kurt was inching closer and closer to the snitch when James heard over the intercom that Ravenclaw just scored again with the Quaffle, putting them ten points ahead of Gryffindor. Thoroughly upset now, James concentrated deeply. The next few moments between Kurt and James practically happened in slow motion. James pushed himself off his broom and threw his body over Kurt and his broom toward the snitch. His hand went straight for the little gold ball as he hit the ground from the fairly low height of three feet. A split second later, Madam Pomfrey blew her whistle. James was rolling around frantically on the ground, but he clearly had the Snitch in his hand. The crowd was now screaming themselves hoarse, and slowly, it dawned on the players.  
  
"GRYFFINDOR WIN!!" Sirius and Remus screamed. Everybody turned to look at the scoreboard. Kurt Pnin's face fell as he watched his once larger score become diminished once James caught the snitch. The Gryffindors pulled ahead and won the game.  
  
"You guys did it! We did it!" James was screaming.  
  
"Well played," said Anton, cuffing James on the back, once he got up off the ground.  
  
"That was quick thinking," said Carrie Anne, grinning from ear to ear. "I can't believe you jumped over Kurt on his broom for the snitch."  
  
The Gryffindor supporters flooded onto the pitch, and James and the team were lifted onto people shoulders. Sirius was still happily shouting the score. Ravenclaw, which was ahead of Gryffindor, was now 140 behind them. James' catching of the snitch at the end had secured the Gryffindor victory. The Ravenclaws were looking completely shocked. They beat Gryffindor last year. James just grinned broadly as he was carried over to the changing rooms. He spotted Remus, Frank, Peter and Lily near the back of the crowd, beaming. He waved to them, as he was put onto the ground.  
  
"Wow," said a voice from behind him. It was Sirius. "You've never sailed over another Seeker before. Those were some awesome tactics there, Prongs. Where'd you learn the new moves?"  
  
"Naah, just some little talents I keep hidden ," said James, grinning. "Among other things." He winked, and Lily rolled her eyes. James laughed.  
  
As James walked back up to the castle surrounded by his friends, he couldn't have felt happier. He'd shown those Ravenclaws what he was made of. Everybody was congratulating him on his superb performance. James did have to admit to himself that he'd flown pretty well today.  
  
"C'mon lads," said William, sticking his head round the Entrance Hall door. "Party in the common room!" Gryffindors didn't require much of a reason to throw a party, and since they were now on their way toward winning the House Cup, nobody thought twice.  
  
~*~  
  
The party went on long into the night. Nearly every person in Gryffindor house had congratulated James on his performance at least twice.  
  
Lots of food was brought up from the kitchens, as well as an endless supply of Butterbeer. Music was blasting loudly from a player and people were dancing, eating, and chatting the night away. Sirius, Remus, Juliet, and Anton were eating and talking with each other.  
  
"That was a great game you played today, Anton. Good job with all those stellar plays, man." Said Remus to Anton, patting him on the shoulder. "If this is only the first match, I can't wait to see how awesome the team with be after couple more!"  
  
Anton smiled. "Yeah, the team's awesome this year. Lots of new plays and strategies, and lots of new talent. Definitely the right ingredients for winning the House Cup."  
  
Sirius turned and said, "Yeah, was it planned that James was going to distract Kurt from the snitch? I mean, he would get the snitch anyway, but he told me about his 'fake dive' trick he pulled." Anton shook his head.  
  
"That was all of James' idea. Great plan, if you asked me. Totally threw Kurt off. James has a lot of great plays. He designed half of the plays created this year." Remus spoke up next.  
  
"Hey, where's James? I haven't seen him since he arrived from the changing room in his robes." Remus and Sirius looked around for James.  
  
Juliet pointed and said, "He is over there with the rest of the Chasers near the music." Anton waved goodbye and went to speak with some other Gryffindors. The friends all turned to find James in the crowd.  
  
Over near the fireplace, where the player was set up, lots of people with congregating with Butterbeer. The music was a particularly fast tune, and many people were dancing to it. James was dancing with Lily, in the middle of the crowd, to the fast beat. They were swaying really close together, with his hands on her hips. Things became even more interesting when Lily returned the gesture by placing her arms around his neck.  
  
Sirius, Remus, and Juliet were sitting there with their eyebrows raised.  
  
Peter walked by and asked, "Whoa, is that James and Lily?"  
  
Sirius nodded and replied, "Yeah, and if you ask me, I think things are starting to heat up over there. Do you think something's going on that they are not telling us?"  
  
Juliet smirked and said, "Are Prefects even allowed to DANCE like that?"  
  
Remus shrugged. "I don't know. Whatever. If you ask me, it's a good thing. They are really good friends and would go well together. But it's their business, not ours." He tried to divert everyone's attention away from James and Lily back to the party. He took Juliet's hand and asked if she wanted to dance also, since most of the people began to dance as well.  
  
Juliet smiled. "I would love to." They joined James and Lily, as they left Sirius and Peter.  
  
"What do you think, Wormtail? Think something's going on under our noses?" Sirius asked Peter, whom in turn shrugged in confusion.  
  
"Uh, I dunno…I mean, Lily and James hang out a lot together at Prefect Meetings and during and after class, so I guess something could have happened. But as Moony says, it's no one's business but theirs." Peter turned to grab another sandwich from the platter.  
  
Sirius sighed and grabbed a sandwich too. "That's true, but something has happened alright." He took one final gaze at a laughing James and smiling Lily before screaming a primal yell and joining them on the dance floor. The friends laughed, talked, drank, and ate for the rest of the night. The party could be heard from all parts of the castle and went on until the wee hours of the morning. It was one of the best nights they ever had at Hogwarts.  
  
~*~  
  
A/N: Yep, end of chapter five. That was a toughie…trying to write a Quidditch match. Anyway, got some romantic developments occurring now, but I'm still taking it rather slowly. Gradual build-up, if you must, of love between L/J. It also gives me more to write about in other chapters too. ^- ^  
  
Finally on Spring Break now…woo-hoo! Bio test over with and my Hon English Research Paper has been typed and turned in. Rejoice! Freedom! I'm just staying home and sleeping. Uggh, totally sleep-deprived.  
  
Anyway, thanks for reading my story! Reviews are not necessary, but definitely appreciated! ^-^  
  
Take care, ff.net readers!  
  
~ Stellar  
  
A big "thank you" to my awesome reviewers also:  
  
Kimmy Larisa: Thanks for reviewing…I'm glad you liked my last chapter! I'll write some more!  
  
Iluvjosh79: Thanks a lot of the review! I'll update as soon as possible!  
  
Seshat: Ahh, my faithful reviewer. Thanks so much for all your input. I really appreciate your reviews. Did you get my email? Yep, things are starting to "heat up" in the L/J department now…but nothing too serious just yet. I'm just taking my sweet time… Very happy that you liked the chapter and I'll start Chapter 6 now!  
  
Princess Tangawine: Thanks for reading my story and reviewing! It means a lot to me! I'll write as fast as I can!  
  
VIELEN DANK! 


	6. Chapter 6

Disclaimer: Yes, yes…they aren't mine, and never will be. But a girl can dream, right?  
  
A tad bit late…just got my wisdom teeth out, so I'm quite "drugged out" and not altogether there. Lots of pain. Ouch. So quite sorry if there are some spelling errors or such.  
  
But alas, Spring Break = lots of writing time. Ooo, I gotta think of some new plot twists. Hope you enjoy reading Chapter 6!  
  
ALSO (MUY IMPORTANTE): Anonymous reviews are welcome now too. I am sorry, before, if anyone wanted to review and they couldn't (or wouldn't) with out logging in. So yeah…review if you would like unobstructed by the stupid "no anonymous reviews" rules now. ^-^  
  
Enjoy!  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
James' contentment after beating Ravenclaw lasted for about a week. People were still coming up to him in corridors and congratulating him. Even Ravenclaws were remarking on the quality of his flying this early in the season. James had always been an exceptional flyer, ever since he was on the team second year, but the compliments that he got for maintaining his talent were gratifying and humbly received. For the whole week, James felt as though someone had plastered a grin onto his face, because he couldn't get rid of it. Even the Slytherins couldn't think of anything obnoxious to say, partly because they were so amazed. Well, almost all of them...  
  
"Oh look, if it isn't everybody's little hero," said Snape acidly one morning, as James was making his way down to the Great Hall for breakfast. Snape was with his little gang, and they were walking in an intimidating group down the corridor towards the Hall. All of them chuckled at Snape's sarcastic words. James sighed and walked past them, but Snape grabbed his arm, pulling him back. Quick as a flash, James reciprocated the action and grabbed Snape and flipped him over his shoulder. Snape landed on the ground with a thud.  
  
"Forgot to tell you," said James amiably. "Besides Quidditch, I attend wizard defensive arts classes in the summer. For about, oh, nine years now." James turned to Snape's friends who were staring at him, and the dazed Snape, in awe. "What are you guys staring at? Come on, run along." He pulled out his wand threateningly. The Slytherins glared at him, but moved away.  
  
"Impressive, Mr. Potter," said a voice from behind him, the door to the Great Hall.  
  
"Thank you, Mr. Lupin. Have you had breakfast?"  
  
"Yep." Remus smiled at James as they walked toward the Gryffindor table. Juliet was already seated with Peter and they were busy helping themselves from the large toast platter. James took a seat next to Juliet, and scooped some scrambled eggs onto his plate. Remus continued to speak.  
  
"And where, may I ask, did you learn those impressive moves?"  
  
James smiled and replied, "You know that my father works for the Ministry. He just thought that I should enroll in some self-defense classes, you know, just in case something happened to him or mom. That I should protect myself."  
  
Juliet turned a curious eye, and James explained to her about how flipped Snape in the hallway. Juliet listened as James recounted the various self- defense courses he had taken as a child. As a taller man now, he was fully capable of protecting himself and others in dire situations. He continued speaking to Remus.  
  
"And the fact I have my wand…well, that's just more help. Hopefully I can put some of this Hogwarts stuff to good use!" Everyone laughed as James checked his watch again. It said 8:57 am. James' eyes got wide.  
  
"Oh crap, I'm late. Hey guys, I'll catch you later. Tell Sirius that too, if he ever comes down." James grabbed two lemon-cranberry scones and began racing out of the Hall. He nearly collided with four third years as he continued down the hallway, his robe sailing behind him. Remus and Peter stared at the frantic James, bewildered.  
  
"Where's he going? Doesn't he remember his class doesn't start for another half and hour?"  
  
Remus shrugged. "I worry about James sometimes." He chuckled.  
  
~*~  
  
James rushed out of the Great Hall and back towards the Gryffindor Tower. He had to go back to his room for his notebook before he headed for his tutorial session that day.  
  
'Oh my God, I can't believe I almost forgot!' James thought frantically, rushing through the Portrait Hole and going up to his room. Jumping three stairs at a time, James slammed open the door, to find a still sleeping Sirius, and ran over to his desk. He grabbed his notebook and quietly shut the door this time.  
  
Once leaving the Portrait Hole though, James was faced with another obstacle, hindering his mad dash to the Charms classrooms.  
  
Sophie Welles.  
  
Mentally sighing, James hoped to ignore or slip past the obnoxious Ravenclaw who was dawdling outside the Gryffindor Tower. James ducked his head and quickened his pace.  
  
"Oh! James! What a pleasant surprise! What are you doing here?" asked Sophie loudly, smiling a bright smile and putting her hands to her cheeks.  
  
James threw a confused glance around. "Uhh, I live here. This is the Gryffindor Tower. What are you doing here?" He continued to walk soundly out of the area. Sophie followed him.  
  
"Oh, you know, just taking a stroll around the grounds. Are you busy?" She inquired, keeping up, much to James' dismay, to his own fast gait.  
  
"At the moment, yes. I am really late right now."  
  
James' apprehension and evasiveness did not stop Sophie though. In fact, his "hard-to-get" attitude only fueled her desire for him. She grabbed his hand as James recoiled in shock. She squeezed it.  
  
"So I heard that Sirius asked Emily Hoffburg to Hogsmeade next week. I bet all they're going to do is snog. I wondering if you wanted to join them, you know, like a double date. And possibly more." Sophie batted her eyelashes and smiled at the students passing, as if to show off the fact she was holding James' hand.  
  
James took that moment to extricate his hand from Sophie's tight grasp and answer, "Yeah, I heard that's what Sirius did, but, um, I have lots to do that day, and I don't think that would be such a good idea. Yeah, definitely not a good idea." His mother's birthday was the following Wednesday after Hogsmeade, and he had plans on finding her a gift that day. And those plans DEFINITELY did not include snogging Sophie Welles.  
  
Sophie pouted. "Oh, but why not? I'll make it worth your while, James." She began to rub his arm, hoping to feel the muscle there.  
  
That statement scared James even more. "Stop…I have to go…bye…" He ran down the corridor and out of Sophie's sight.  
  
"Owl me later! I love you!" She yelled, to James' fleeting shadow.  
  
~*~  
  
Walking down the busy mezzanine towards they Charms classrooms, Lily Evans blocked out the loquacious people surrounding her, as she became more and more enraptured in her book. It was a Muggle tale, about some wuthering heights or such, but it was very well written. Lily continued walking slowly, avoiding the other students, as she headed for her extracurricular tutorial session.  
  
After Dumbledore first told her about those opportunities, she received her schedule for her extra classes. There were not that many, she only chose three, but they were fascinating. Each class mainly consisted of only four or five students per each professor, and the subjects ranged from expert flying, to wandless magic, to extremely esoteric, but useful, Charms. It was awesome, and Lily couldn't get enough of it.  
  
She looked back down to her book and was just about to turn the page when a tall figure ran into her from behind and nearly pushed her off course.  
  
"Whoa…careful…" The figure turned around and apologized.  
  
"Damn, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to—Lily?" The astonished figure stopped in mid-sentence.  
  
Lily looked up and found herself staring straight into James' eyes.  
  
"James?"  
  
"Oh geez…"  
  
With a bemused smile, Lily replied, "Goodness James, do you always crash into people in the hallways for fun?" She closed her book and started walking again, with James following her much slower gait. He threw her a rueful smile.  
  
"Sorry about that, Lils. Thought I was late going to the class. Hey…aren't you late too? I mean, it's about 9:15 now." He had a worried look on his face as her started to walk faster and glance at his watch.  
  
Not speeding up from her current pace, Lily sighed and placed her hand on James' arm. "Slow down, buddy. Class doesn't start until 9:30 today, remember? There is no need to rush—we have plenty of time." James breathed a sigh of relief and slowed down.  
  
"Oh, I think I remember what Crogh said at last week's meeting. Can't believe I could have forgotten something that important. Must have mowed down a bunch of second years trying to get to class on time." He chuckled at his foolishness as he and Lily turned down another doorway and started heading toward the empty Charms classrooms. He felt a pang of hunger, and reached into his pocket for his napkin full of scones. James pulled it out and began eating the large pastry.  
  
Lily turned her head. "That isn't by chance a lemon scone, is it?" She peered over James' arm hungrily.  
  
James nodded and offered her the other scone. "Tad but hungry?" he asked as he watched Lily devour the pastry in nearly one bite.  
  
Lily smiled and thanked him profusely. "I missed breakfast this morning because I had to drop my tutee's essay back to his dorm. I'm famished!" she mumbled as she took another large bite of her scone. The pair walked in companionable silence until they reached their designated Charms classroom.  
  
Their teacher, Professor Crogh, did not teach Charms, but the classrooms were fairly large and deserted, so that is what they used for the tutorial sessions on the weekends.  
  
Approaching the classroom, Lily reached the door and opened it.  
  
James didn't go in and said, "Ladies first." He stuck out his hand and waited for Lily to pass through.  
  
Lily, holding the door, had an exasperated look on her face. "James, I'm holding the door. Just get inside." She was smirking.  
  
"But—"  
  
"No buts, James. Just walk through the door…please?" Lily sighed as she continued to hold open the classroom door. James smiled and bowed his head.  
  
"Yes, ma'am." They pair entered the classroom.  
  
~*~  
  
"That's it. I give up. This 'witch' stuff sucks. I'm going off to work on a traveling circus." Lily grumbled as she sat down on a desk, rubbing her eyes and yawning. James walked closer to her from where they were working across the room.  
  
"Now, now Lils. That's not the way to act. You should be excited…you are a learning all these awesome spells that ordinary wizards here at Hogwarts don't even have the chance at learning! Plus, you get to have yours truly for a partner three times a week too—brilliant, charming, and witty…Where's your spirit for knowledge?" James asked, trying to cheer Lily up from her 2- hour spell slump. They had been in the classroom for about two hours now, and the learning was getting tiring for Lily. The new spells drained a lot of her energy, due to the high levels of concentration each required for mastery.  
  
Lily sighed, and slumped further in her seat. "Probably off hiding somewhere with your modesty." James chuckled and sat down next to her, taking off his glasses and rubbing his eyes.  
  
"Yeah, I'm tired. I can't believe we've only done two spells and I'm drained."  
  
For the past two hours, Professor Crogh was introducing them to the various "joining" spells that were available to wizards and witches nowadays. The first spell was that of a 'binding' spell, if you will, which allowed the two people who performed the spell not to be able to be more than five feet apart from each other. Lily paired with Leslie Windsor, a Hufflepuff, for this spell. It did not seem as if it worked until Leslie tried walking to her desk but was physically unable to move when she got about five feet away from Lily. Lily too, was hindered when Professor Crogh asked her to retrieve his book. Though it seemed easy, the incantation for the spell was a difficult one. The pairs had to be in complete sync with each other for the spell to work.  
  
The second charm was that of a 'health meter', to be able to check the vital signs of the person you are paired with. Professor Crogh said that is good for dangerous situations and travel when a wizard or witch was with an injured person.  
  
Just as Lily was about to yawn again, Professor Crogh announced the third, and final, spell the group of five students would be learning that day. It was the Telepathy Spell. The professor asked if everyone could choose a partner—he was paired with the remaining one student—and they would stand across from each other. Naturally, Lily and James began to stand in front of the other.  
  
Professor Crogh continued with his instructions. "Alright, now, on the count of three, the pairs must say 'Ingredior!' at the same time while pointing their wands at each other's head. Alright, ready?"  
  
James waggled his eyebrows as he aimed his wand at Lily's head. Lily raised a delicate eyebrow in return and pointed at James' head too.  
  
"Alright…one…two…THREE!"  
  
The pairs throughout the room yelled "Ingredior!" and suddenly Lily felt a giant rush of energy pass through her body. There was a twinge of pain in head.  
  
*Are you alright, Lily? *  
  
Lily looked up in a flash to James, who was smiling. It seemed as though the telepathy spell worked, for she heard James' voice clearly in her mind. Lily laughed out loud. She replied to James via his mind.  
  
*Doing well, Mr. Potter. Just the sudden rush threw me off balance. Gosh, this is incredibly weird. *  
  
James nodded. *Weird yes, but quite handy at times. Hmmm, think of all the possibilities! No more note passing…making fun of people without actually saying anything…this'll definitely freak Sirius out! *  
  
*Yeah, but not only do I have to hear you annoying voice everyday, I can now hear it unobstructed in my mind too! *  
  
James stuck out his tongue. *Meanie.* They laughed.  
  
After a few more minutes of "speaking", Professor Crogh told the students to say "Relinquo" to release their partner's voice. They had to follow the same procedure as starting the cast. The pairs yelled "Relinquo" at the same time, and they promptly left each other's minds. Professor said class was dismissed, and that they would meet the same time next week.  
  
~*~  
  
While James and Lily were busy in their tutorial sessions, Sirius, Remus, and Peter were causing trouble of their own at Hogwarts. Juliet was busy finishing her homework in the Common Room when the trio left.  
  
They managed to sneak around some more of the castle, casually "borrowing" James' invisibility cloak of course, before the returned back in the afternoon to see James and Lily.  
  
Sirius, during one of his detentions, managed to discover another secret passageway in between the library and the wall the to the left of its entrance. Using Peter as a diversion, the pair were touching and pushing all the stone blocks on the wall. It seemed as if their work was to no avail until one of the blocks pushed in and the wall began to move.  
  
The wall began to shift and shape as a large block protruded out further than the others on the wall. There was a keyhole there, which probably opened the room. Obviously, since the two guys did not have the key, they could not enter. They tried hitting it keyhole and placing other objects in it to pick the lock, but it would not budge from its place. It was a very strong lock to a very strong door.  
  
They were just about to work on the hinges of the "door", Peter's voice rang out in the near-empty hallway.  
  
"You guys! McGonagall!"  
  
Sirius sighed. "Dammit! Alright, Moony, help me push this wall back. It deserves another looking later. Geez, perfect timing." The pair pushed the wall back in place just in time Professor McGonagall strolled by them.  
  
Remus and Sirius and Peter put on their most angelic faces as the professor walked by them with a raised eyebrow. Remus began whistling as Sirius brushed some dust off of his robe.  
  
Professor McGonagall said, "Good afternoon, gentlemen. Everything alright?" They trio nodded their heads profusely.  
  
Professor McGonagall continued down the hallway as the three began quickly running back to the Common Room to tell everyone about their latest discovery.  
  
~*~  
  
Having arrived back from class, James and Lily joined Juliet in the Common Room. Juliet smiled and waved and inquired how their classes went this afternoon. Lily told her about the new spells they have learned and how she wanted to join a travelling circus. Juliet laughed at Lily's new plan.  
  
"So yeah, don't know where the guys went. Probably off getting into detention, as usual. Been sitting here trying to finish my homework. At least SOMEONE cares about their grades around here, besides you guys." She nodded in the direction of the Portrait Hole where Remus, Sirius, and Peter left about an hour before. She turned back to her essay.  
  
Having finished their work earlier, James challenged Lily to a game of chess, since they had some time to spare. Lily agreed, warily, but sat down to play anyway.  
  
James was crestfallen to find that Lily was better than him at chess – she told him she had had practice playing with her older sister, Petunia. Usually Lily was a mediocre chess player, lesser skilled then James, but it seemed as if she practiced a lot over the summer. She was making some good moves and was slowly beating James.  
  
Unless James' eyes were deceiving him, he could have also sworn that Lily looked less-than-joyful when her sister was mentioned.  
  
"Let me guess,' said James quietly. "You still don't get on well with Petunia. Does she still taunt you about being a witch?"  
  
"It's a hate-hate relationship," said Lily, and then realizing what he had said, she said "How did you know that?" Lily has never told anyone besides Juliet the true elements about her family life, since it was private and painful. Lily was shocked to hear that James realized that Petunia taunted her at home.  
  
"Elementary, my dear Lily. When your sister is mentioned, there is pure hatred and pain in your pretty eyes." Lily stared at him, but he seemed not to notice.  
  
"Very clever, Sherlock," she said, grinning. She smiled a rueful smile. James bowed and they continued on the game.  
  
Suddenly, Sirius, Remus, and Peter rushed through the Portrait Hole.  
  
Sirius spoke up first, out of breath. "James! Jules! Lily! You can't believe what we just discovered!"  
  
Peter nodded enthusiastically. "Yeah! Another secret room! Possibly a secret passageway!"  
  
Lily looked up in surprise and interest. "Really, is that so? Where?"  
  
Remus began explaining how Sirius has discovered that the wall next to the library but how they could not enter because it requires a key. "We were trying to pick at it, but McGonagall came by and we had to stop."  
  
James looked up from the chessboard. "The locked door near the library? Oh, I have the key for that. Lily does too." He reached into his pocket and pulled out a key ring. "Here, it's this key. But I doubt you'll find much. Dumbledore told us at the Prefect meeting that that is where they put the old periodicals of the Daily Prophet."  
  
Sirius, Remus, and Peter pouted. Sirius stuck out his tongue, as Lily laughed.  
  
Remus sighed. "Oh well. It was worth a shot Padfoot, Wormtail. Damn. New plan."  
  
James shrugged. "Hey, that's okay. You'll find another soon. There are so many in Hogwarts." He turned back to his chess game.  
  
Lily smiled. "Dumb move, Jamesie." James looked down.  
  
"What? Why?"  
  
"Checkmate, Sherlock. Anyone hungry?"  
  
Lily got up to head toward the Great Hall, leaving James to stare at the chessboard.  
  
~*~  
  
Later that night, before everyone was asleep, Juliet and Lily were turning down their beds. Juliet suddenly stopped and put her hand to her head.  
  
Lily turned. "What's wrong Jules? Is everything okay?"  
  
"No, I forgot my homework on Remus' desk. My 'current events' project for my History of Magic class. Geez, I've got to get it." Juliet started to get changed, but Lily stopped her.  
  
"Hey, don't change. I'll get it for you. I still have to go to the Prefect bathroom to brush my teeth anyway. I'll pick it up when I come back." Juliet thanked Lily and crawled into bed.  
  
After taking a shower and brushing her teeth, the pajama-clad Lily headed over to the guys' dorm and knocked softly. Peter answered the door groggily. He squinted for a second before rubbing his eyes to see who was at the door.  
  
"Lily? That you? What do you need?"  
  
"Hey, sorry Peter. I need to pick up something for Juliet from Remus' desk. She needs it desperately." Peter ushered her in quietly and Lily walked toward the far side of the room.  
  
James looked up from his Quidditch magazine. "Ah, what brings you here, Lils?" he asked, grinning. "Trying to entice me with your pajamas?"  
  
She threw him a mock seductive glance. "I definitely don't need pajamas for that," she replied, laughing. Remus, who heard why Lily was here, raised his eyebrows from his desk. He walked over to Lily with Juliet's homework and the Daily Prophet.  
  
"Is there some James-Lily flirting thing that I should know about?" he asked curiously.  
  
James and Lily looked at year other with laughter in their eyes. James spoke up. "Hmmm. Yep."  
  
"We're magnetically attracted," said Lily, chuckling. "Or so Lover-Boy here thinks." They stuck their tongues out at each other.  
  
"How interesting," said Remus. "So when the flirting stops, you'll actually like each other?"  
  
James shook his head. "Naah, it'll never stop. Nothing's gonna happen."  
  
"So you'll never like each other?"  
  
"Highly doubt it," they said at the same time, and burst out laughing.  
  
Remus threw a 'Yeah, right' look at Sirius who was making kissy-noises discreetly from his bed. Luckily, James and Lily did not see that. Lily grabbed Juliet's papers and bid the guys good night.  
  
Walking down the stairs back to her room, Lily could not help but notice the main story on the front of the Daily Prophet.  
  
She read with shock and disbelief as the article informed that a Dark Lord and his followers yesterday night killed nine different Muggles. Apparently, the Muggles had magical children, and that the Dark Lord was doing what he/she believed was "cleansing" the wizarding community. Utterly horrified, Lily was even more scared when she read that the killings occurred about fifteen miles from her home.  
  
'The Dark Lord doesn't know that my parents have me, right? I mean, my parents are safe. Yeah…everything is going to be fine.' Not wanting to worry herself over something that might not ever happen, Lily folded the Daily Prophet and headed back to her dorm. She tried to think good thoughts as she placed Juliet's paper on her desk. Lily leaned over and noticed Juliet's quietly breathing body.  
  
Lily crawled under her soft covers and shut her eyes. She couldn't, unfortunately, shut out all the scary thoughts that ran through her mind.  
  
'My parents are safe, and I am safe. I have nothing to worry about. Nothing at all…nothing at all…" Lily sighed and drifted in an uneasy sleep.  
  
~*~  
  
A/N: Chapter 6 over and done with. Owww…my jaw hurts. This definitely sucks. But yeah, thanks for reading my fanfic and review if you would like. If not, that is perfectly alright too. ^-^  
  
Thanks for everything, and be safe ff.net readers! See ya later in Chapter 7!  
  
~ Stellar  
  
THANKS TO MY FABULOUS REVIEWERS! I LOVE YA LOTS!  
  
SexySam – Thanks for reviewing! Yeah, I wanna know how Sophie is going to react to these new developments too…things are starting to get interesting around here. She'll probably have a fit…that would be an interesting chapter to write!  
  
Bad Gurl – Thankful for your review and input! I am trying to make James and Lily seem as realistic as possible—I want them to be nice and cool people. Yeah, Sophie really gets on my nerves…hmm, slapping doesn't sound that bad, really…^-^  
  
Thistlemeg – Hey! Very glad that you reviewed and read! My trusty reviewer since day 1! Thanks for everything! Yeah, Chapter 4 just kind of popped out of nowhere! Seriously, James is such a nice guy in this story…I want him too! I truly wonder if guys like him exist…I sure hope so. Oh gosh, sorry your spring break is nearly over (or over by the time you read this). Yeah, just starting mine, but in total pain from my teeth. Meh. Glad you like the Quidditch Match (definitely a writer's challenge, I tell ya!) and the gradual build-up of my L/J romance. Lots of flirting first, probably. I sort of have a timeline of this story is going to turn out. Anyway, thanks for the review! ^-^  
  
Pink – Gosh! Thanks so much for the compliment! I definitely don't deserve it! Thanks for reading my story and reviewing! I am very happy that you like it so far! Here's chapter 6! Read again soon!  
  
Quinn – Yep, the beginning of the L/J has finally arrived! Woo-hoo…but be prepared for the long haul, it might be a while…or might not ^-^ Thanks for reading and reviewing! I really appreciate it!  
  
Skye – Thanks for the reading and reviewing! I am very happy that you like my story so far! I'll write as fast as I can think of ideas!  
  
Quack Quack 88 – Thanks for reading my story, and I am glad you like it! The Quidditch match was quite a challenge to write, and I am glad it was realistic, they way it turned out. As for the dancing scene…that is how I wanted to portray it. I have seen the Grease scene which you speak of, but I wanted L/J to have more of a "slow-dancing amidst fast-dancers" type scene. Something special, contrasting the fast time and beat of everyone to the slowing-down of time for them. So yeah…but thanks for the constructive criticism! I appreciate it very much! Thanks for reading again.  
  
Sirena Oculare – Thanks for reviewing! Glad you liked it! I'm writing as fast as I can!  
  
Thanks again! See you all in Chapter 7! ^-^ 


	7. Chapter 7

Disclaimer: What I would give for them to be mine…but alas, they are not. Oh well. They belong to Ms. J.K. Rowling and people of that sort. They are not being used for my financial gain (Ha! As if!)  
  
Alrighty…here comes Chapter 7! Brace yourselves!  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Much later in the season, James, Sirius, Remus and Peter didn't feel like going to the Slytherin-Hufflepuff Quidditch game, because they didn't want to see Slytherin being awarded the Quidditch Cup. Even though Gryffindor had an excellent season with no losses, the Slytherins apparently had an even better season. From what Dumbledore said at the last Prefect meeting, Slytherin was just ahead of Gryffindor in points toward the House Cup. That definitely angered James—but what could he do? Points were points, and that is unfortunately what mattered when it came towards winning the House Cup.  
  
So instead, James, Remus, Sirius, and Peter spent their time in the Common Room, which was, considering that there was a Quidditch match on, quite full. Evidently some other Gryffindors didn't want to witness Slytherin's triumph either. James and Sirius were playing chess and doing their Transfiguration homework at the same time. James kept getting distracted and changing his pawns into needles and back again. This didn't please the pawns, and they kept trying to attack him, though they couldn't move from the board. Remus and Peter were playing Exploding Snap with Lily and Juliet, who had also opted to stay in the castle, and so James and Sirius encountered frequent explosions and bursts of laughter from behind them, and the noises from the crowd out in the grounds.  
  
After a few hours, they heard a large amount of shouting and cheering that could mean only that the Quidditch match had finished. After a few minutes, James spotted people coming out of the stadium and heading back up to the school, laughing and joking. Everybody seemed very jovial. This was soon explained. Slytherin, it transpired, had played very complacently, and because of their lack of enthusiasm, Hufflepuff had managed to get the Snitch quite early and win by two hundred and twenty points to thirty. This meant that now both Ravenclaw and Gryffindor had a chance to steal the Quidditch Cup from Slytherin's clutches – it all depended on who won, and by how much – Gryffindor would need to win by twenty, Ravenclaw would have to win by fifty, and now that they had their star player back, this seemed like a probable prospect.  
  
James, Remus, and Peter all ran down to the front of castle where James spoke to Anton at length about the new situation. Anton advised him that Gryffindor indeed had a chance of winning the House Cup, but that Ravenclaw did too. James understood, and Anton gave him the 'run-through' of his new practice schedule.  
  
"If there's anyone who deserves the House Cup this year, it's us," Anton said. Pointing around to the various Gryffindor players that were outside. "We worked very hard this year, and unlike some other teams—ahem, Slytherin—we played fairly. So I think we have a great chance at winning."  
  
James nodded his agreement and started to spread the word about the new Quidditch practices to all the teammates he could find in the crowd. Peter and Remus helped him.  
  
By the time the three boys managed to claw themselves through the crowd and reach their dormitory again, they were out of breath. When they opened the door, they were surprised to find Lily in there still, talking quietly to Sirius.  
  
"What's all this then," said James loudly, grinning from ear to ear. "Surreptitious rendezvousing?"  
  
"Damn you, James!" said Lily wryly. "You interrupted Siri and my moment of passion."  
  
"Yes indeed, Jamesy-Boy," said Sirius in the same tone. "I was just about to propose to dear Lils here, and here you are, ruining my moment of glory." James laughed.  
  
"Lily, m'dear," said Remus, approaching her. "Your hair looked nicer the way it was before."  
  
"What are you on about?" said Lily, chuckling at Remus' expression.  
  
"What?" said Remus apparently horrified. "You didn't know about your tomato- flavoured hair?" Lily surveyed him for a moment.  
  
"Hmm. And all this time, I thought Sirius was the insane one. Now I don't know what to think!"  
  
"When you were unconscious," Remus elaborated. "Your hair was covered in soup. Very, very messy. Not to mention tasty."  
  
Lily looked shocked. "When was I unconscious recently? I think I might have remembered being there!" James and Sirius looked at each other. Sirius spoke.  
  
"Well, when James and I were transfiguring the Wizards' Chess pieces, we got into some kind of duel, and I we started transfiguring them into different items. So, yeah, I transfigured them into a bowl of soup, and it kind of flew off the table and knocked you in the head."  
  
Astounded, Lily said, "Surely I could have felt it."  
  
Sirius shook his head. "Naah, it hit you straight in the back. You fell asleep, basically. It was all over your hair. Granted, we couldn't notice it at first, since the tomato soup was about the same color as your hair, but it was dripping."  
  
"And I don't suppose I could condescend to ask why it isn't there now?" said Lily, a tad bit irritated and rubbing a hand through her dry hair.  
  
"You've got three guesses," said Peter, as everyone turned to look at James, who grinned. "And the first two don't count."  
  
Lily stared at James. "You?! You washed my hair?" James laughed and shook his head.  
  
"No! I put a drying spell on your hair, and I brought you over to Madam Pomfrey's, where she cleaned you up. I brought you back to the Common Room too. Just seated you in the same place as before."  
  
Lily smiled. "Okay. It has only been, what, three? Four? Months since school has started and I've been the Hospital Wing twice! This is preposterous! I managed to get thrown off my broom and get whacked in the head by a bowl of soup. Jules! Call the circus! I'm on my way!" Lily stood up and laughed.  
  
"You get around a bit, don't you?" said Juliet, grinning at James. "Rescuing fair maidens from falling brooms, ugly Slytherins and – much more importantly – messy hair!" James laughed.  
  
"All part of my cunning plan to win Lily's heart,' said James seriously. "Don't tell me you – didn't – know?" he added horrifically.  
  
"Aw," said Sirius. "Does that mean I don't get her heart?"  
  
"Hey, I can give my heart to whoever I like, thank you very much," said Lily, laughing. "Still my life you boys are discussing, remember?" She threw a sly glance at James, who caught it and threw another secretive smile back. Nobody caught their exchange of glances.  
  
"Anyone but Snape and I'll be happy for you." James said slowly.  
  
"Gasp! How did you know that he was my secret lover?" said Lily monotonously.  
  
"Right," said Remus. "This conversation is now officially sickening. Possible cure: Exploding Snap." He pulled a pack out of his pocket, and for most of the rest of the evening, loud explosions and a great deal of laughter could be heard from the Gryffindor dormitory.  
  
~*~  
  
For the next week, Hogwarts was cruelly subjected to a severe thrashing from the weather. Black, billowing storm clouds adorned the sky, and the grounds were soaked with relentless rainfall. Post owls were finding it increasingly difficult to get their massages delivered in time, and Hagrid had taken it upon himself to care for them before they took flight again. The Quidditch practices were sporadic, despite their early planning. It was just too hard to play on the field with thunder and lightening outside. But with Anton's and James' determination, the poor Gryffindor Quidditch players managed to learn and perfect all of their plays with or without the thunder.  
  
By Friday morning, the weather had slowly worsened. A loud clap of thunder woke James very early. He rolled over, and tried to get back to sleep, but the noise of the storm, combined with Peter's snores, was enough to prevent this. In the end, he poured himself a glass of water, pulled on a sweater and grabbed his Quidditch robe for extra warmth, and made his solitary way down to the Common Room. His first thought on entering was that it was empty, but then a slight movement of something red in the corner caught his attention. It was Lily. She was lying on the chair next to the fire, shivering slightly.  
  
"Here you are," said James, wrapping his Quidditch robe around her shoulders, and sitting next to her in front of the fire.  
  
"Oh, Morning," said Lily sleepily, slightly taken aback by his sudden entrance.  
  
"Couldn't you sleep?" James asked. He leaned over to the fire so that his watch was illuminated. It said 6:15 am.  
  
"In this?"  
  
"Yeah, well, at least you don't have Peter's snores to keep you awake as well." Lily chuckled weakly.  
  
"Ooh, you'll have fun playing Quidditch in this," she said fervently, getting up and peering out at the window. Flashes of lightning were rippling across the sky. She shivered again and pulled James' cloak closer to her body. She threw him a worried glance, as she sat back down on the couch next to him.  
  
"Yes, so I see. Maybe it'll have cleared up in – er, half an hour," he said, checking his watch again and throwing her a ridiculous smile.  
  
"Fat chance," came a groggy voice from the door up to the dorms. It was Remus. He was rubbing his eyes and walking slowly down the stair towards his friends on the couch. "What's this? Another secret tryst between Lily and latest secret lover?"  
  
"Hardly," said James, dismissing Remus' comment. "We were discussing my chances of survival in this." He pointed to the large window.  
  
"Slim to none."  
  
"Don't you have confidence in us?" came another voice. Anton Avery had entered the room, carrying his broomstick in one hand and his Quidditch robes in another. "Everything alright, James? Got your Quidditch robes? Where's your broomstick?"  
  
"Lily has my robe. My broom's upstairs. Are you going down to the pitch now?" James started to get up.  
  
"Yeah, I think that's the plan. I'll wake the others quickly, and then we'll go down. What broomstick have you got?" Anton inquired, putting on his robe.  
  
"A Silver Arrow." James' father had bought him a new one before the school year started. James enjoyed it a lot, and was quite fond of it. "Just give me a second, it's in the back of my room." He ran up the stairs and back into his dorm.  
  
"Take your time. It's gonna be a while." Anton climbed the some other stairs, evidently to go and rudely awaken his fellow Quidditch team members.  
  
~*~  
  
After the early morning practice, James met his friends for breakfast in the Great Hall before attending to class. It was a rather uneventful day. There was a lot of homework in Potions and Charms, and he realized that he had another 'tutoring session' in the afternoon.  
  
'Maybe I could feign sickness,' he thought, as he was walking with Sirius and Remus after Charms had ended. They were heading towards the Great Hall for lunch. 'No, then Sophie would manage to sneak into my room just to see me in my pajamas. Oh good Lord.' He shuddered. They entered the Hall.  
  
As they entered the Hall, they spotted Peter speaking with Juliet and they both waved. Remus waved back and rushed to his girlfriend. Sirius and James walked over and took their seats. They began talking and eating, and soon Juliet stopped.  
  
"Hey, where's Lily?"  
  
James and Sirius shrugged. "I don't know. She left in the middle of Charms, so I guess it must be something important. Charms is her favorite class." James said, taking an apple from the bowl.  
  
Remus nodded. "Yeah, McGonagall personally requested her presence, and she left."  
  
"Oh. It's just that I had some stuff to give her, and I was hoping to give it to her now before lunch ended." Juliet shrugged and the friends continued to talk and eat at the loud Gryffindor table.  
  
~*~  
  
Meanwhile, Professor McGonagall had requested Lily's presence out of Charms class and had taken her to Professor Dumbledore's office. A little confused, Lily followed the Professor to Dumbledore's office, and whispered the password. She found herself face to face with Dumbledore, and he ushered her to take a seat in the chairs in front of him. Professor McGonagall stayed close to the back of the room, where Lily noticed her presence in the corner of her eye.  
  
"Good afternoon, Professor Dumbledore," Lily said politely. She smiled lightly, and Dumbledore smiled back. "How may I help you? Is it something to do with my tutorial sessions?"  
  
Dumbledore smiled a weak smile, and walked around his desk to sit in front of Lily. "No, Ms. Evans, it has nothing to do with those sessions, but I have heard you have been doing a superb job in all of your extra classes. I congratulate you for your fine efforts. It seems as though you are learning a lot." Lily smiled.  
  
"Is it about my tutee then? He has been doing a great job too. His grades have vastly improved." Dumbledore shook his head.  
  
"No, it is not that either. I have news concerning—I have news about your parents."  
  
Lily's smile dropped, and she suddenly felt a churning sensation in her stomach. Lily was afraid to ask what the news was about, but she had a clear feeling where this conversation was turning.  
  
"Oh God, Professor, please, don't tell me something happened to my parents…please…" Tears were forming in Lily's pretty green eyes and she bit her lip and looked down. After reading the Daily Prophet article, she had a terrible feeling something bad might happen, but she was praying and praying that it would never occur. Her parents were all she had.  
  
Dumbledore took Lily's hand. "Ms. Evans, I'm very sorry to say that your parents passed away last evening, while at the cinema. They were not targeted, since there were many other Muggles that died last night, but they were some of the few Muggles that had magical children or backgrounds. Unfortunately, you are the only student at this school who was affect. I am so very sorry, and you have my utmost condolences." Professor McGonagall had now walked to Lily from the back of the room and started comforting the girl. Lily just sat in her chair, unable to comprehend what Dumbledore had just told her.  
  
In that moment, Lily felt as if this was some horrid nightmare that she could just wake out of. All she could hear was "Parents passed away…parents passed away…" again and again in her mind. She felt herself become detached, and for a moment, the world stopped turning. All her previous worries—schoolwork, lunchtime, tutoring sessions, Sirius' lame jokes—seemed trivial. Lily shut her eyes in a weak smile. 'What I would give to live in that moment of ignorance I had about an hour ago, when I thought everything was fine. Before everything changed.'  
  
"Ms. Evans? Are you alright?" Lily was shaken out of her thoughts by Dumbledore's voice. She glanced up to see a sincerely concerned Professor Dumbledore looking into her eyes.  
  
"Ms. Evans…Lily…believe me, you are excused from classes for the rest of the day and the rest of the week, if necessary. I know how traumatic this must be for you."  
  
Lily nodded and said a small, "Thank you, Professor".  
  
Professor McGonagall leaned down and whispered to Lily, "I am so sorry Ms. Evans, to tell you this awful news right now. We are going to make sure everything is okay." Lily smiled a weak smile at Professor McGonagall and thanked her too.  
  
Dumbledore spoke up. "Would you like to go to your room, Ms. Evans?" Lily nodded, and started to get up from her chair. She was unsteady and still a little shocked, so Professor McGonagall helped her to the door. Suddenly, Lily turned around to Dumbledore.  
  
"Petunia…what about my sister…is she alright? Is my house alright? What happened—" Dumbledore put his finger to his lips.  
  
"Ms. Evans, you sister Petunia is perfectly fine. She did not attend the cinema that evening. As for your house, it is still there. The cinema was in town. But please, I just want you to get some rest. I am very sorry that everything had to be said this morning. It is a lot of information to grasp at such a short notice. And so devastating. I will promise I will talk to you later and straighten everything out." Lily nodded faintly, and Professor McGonagall head her back to her dorm room.  
  
They walked by the Great Hall and through the busy corridors, but Lily did not seems to notice the bustle of people around her. She could not hear the laughter of all the people, her friends, in the rooms near her. All she could think of was the fact that her parents were gone—and she did nothing to save them. In fact, it was her own magical self that probably ensured their untimely death. Throughout the entire ordeal, Lily did not cry.  
  
She was very surprised at herself, because usually she was very sensitive, and would start bawling, but the her parents' death seemed still too surreal for her to understand at that moment. All she could do was walk in a stunned silence back to her room.  
  
Once in her dorm room, Lily turned and thanked Professor McGonagall, who asked if she need anything. Lily shook her had and thanked her. Professor McGonagall left and shut the door quietly behind her.  
  
Lily walked slowly to her desk and picked up a picture frame with a picture of her and her parents at the end of fourth year. The picture was old, but her parents' image was the same to Lily. Her mother's shining eyes—emerald, just like hers—and her father's brilliant smile.  
  
She remembered taking that photo—and how much she did not want to take it. Juliet convinced her and took the snapshot. Now, it was all she had left of her parents at Hogwarts. She ran her finger over his parents' faces and sighed. She clutched the picture to her heart.  
  
Lily was suddenly overwhelmed with a sense of fervent need and she ran to her trunk. She opened it and began and throwing items just to find more pictures of her parents. 'That is all I have left now,' Lily said hastily, tossing out picture albums and other gifts her parents had given her from her trunk.  
  
Almost crazily, Lily stopped what she was doing and began stumbling around the room, the full impact of Dumbledore's news hitting her. She yelled out to everyone and no one in her dorm room.  
  
"It's not fair!" Lily screamed, still clutching her parents' picture in her hand. "They weren't supposed die just going to the cinema! They shouldn't have felt any pain!" Lily crawled onto her bed. "Mum…Dad…you weren't supposed to go…you weren't supposed to die…"  
  
"Not because of me…not because of me…it's all my fault…" Lily whimpered, kneeling on her bed, her hand covering her eyes.  
  
Lily did the only rational thing she could think of at that moment.  
  
She cried.  
  
~*~  
  
A/N: I'm very sorry…but Lily's parents had to die sometime, and unfortunately, it had to be now. I have a pretty good timeline of my story now…and this is the most appropriate time for this.  
  
Take care.  
  
~ Stellar  
  
To my wonderful reviewers…you guys are marvelous! Thanks for the kind (and constructive) words!  
  
KittyKat – Thanks for the review! I'll email you for the update!  
  
Orca – Muchas gracias for reading and reviewing! I wish guys like James existed too! *Sigh* Next chapter up!  
  
Sirena Oculare – Yeah, Lily's parents had to go…*sob*…but the story my go on. Thanks for reading and reviewing!  
  
Snow Flurry – Thanks for nice review and reading my story! Thanks for the compliment! I'm writing as fast as I can!  
  
Diabla666 – Thanks for reviewing! As for my timeline…If James started as an 11 or 12-year-old first-year, it is highly plausible that he could be 17 by the time he is in the sixth year. I just want him to be 18 by the time he ends Hogwarts. As for the "last destination" line, I just wanted to say that the last stop (or destination) of that train ride was at Hogwarts, not the last time they were arriving at Hogwarts. Sorry if my writing was confusing! I'll try to fix that…but thanks for reading my story and reviewing! I means a lot!  
  
Seshat – No problemo about missing Chapter 5…Chapter 8 is where the L/J action begins…^-^ So yeah, be prepared!  
  
Quack Quack 88 – Thanks for the compliment (and reading and reviewing)…I'm sorry my idea was so muddled by my writing that it was hard to comprehend! Yeah, so sad that Lily's parents had to go…*sob*…but thanks! I'm writing as fast as I can!  
  
Prongs – Thanks for reading and reviewing! It means a lot and is definitely appreciated! ^-^  
  
Thistlemeg – Wow, my dental woes seem frivolous compared to what you have! But yeah, wisdom teeth = no fun at all. Blah. Oh yes, gotta love L/J flirtation. Not much next chapter (some loose ends to tie up), but a lot Chapter 8 though…bring on the L/J action! (as for the telepathy…hmm…hehehe). Thanks for reading and reviewing!  
  
SeaS – Thanks for reading the story, and I am very glad you like it! I am trying my best! Thanks so much for reviewing!  
  
VIELEN DANK TO ALL MY REVIEWERS! 


	8. Chapter 8

Disclaimer: Not mine. Never will be. Let's leave it at that, shall we?  
  
Chapter 8, ladies and gentlemen.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Lunch was nearly over, and there was still no sign of Lily anywhere. Every few minutes, Juliet would look up from her food and away from Remus and stared at the entranceway, hoping to catch a glimpse of her friend. But alas, Lily did not show up.  
  
With about ten minutes of lunch left, Juliet excused herself from the Gryffindor table and told Remus, Sirius, James, and Peter that she was heading up towards the dorms to put Lily's papers back on her desk. If Lily showed up, they should tell her that Juliet was already in their room. The guys agreed.  
  
Sensing that Lily might be up there—Lily oftentimes went to her dorm before heading to the Great Hall to retrieve some books—Juliet wrapped a sandwich neatly in a paper napkin and placed it in her pocket. She walked swiftly through the hallway toward the Gryffindor Tower.  
  
She walked through the Portrait Hole, and up the stairs to the dorms. The door was closed and she opened it, believing that no one was in there. Walking into the room, she notices Lily's trunk open with all of her belongings scattered all over the floor. Juliet was worried. Did someone ransack their room? She called out for Lily.  
  
"Lily? Are you in here? Lils?" She ran to Lily's bed, where the curtains were shut. She heard a muffled sob.  
  
"Lily, sweetie, I brought you some foo—oh my God." Juliet stopped when she saw Lily's tear-streaked face. She saw the picture frame tight in Lily's grasp and she dropped the sandwich on the ground. She hugged Lily.  
  
"Oh my God, Lily, are you alright? What happened? What's wrong?" Lily continued to cry harder, as Juliet quietly brushed her hair out of her eyes, and took out her lace handkerchief. She dabbed Lily's eyes and gave Lily the handkerchief. Lily mumbled a "thank you" before whimpering again.  
  
With pure concern and sympathy, Juliet crawled into Lily's bed and hugged her friend again. "Lily, you have to tell me what's wrong. I was worried sick when you didn't arrive for lunch today."  
  
Out of breath and hiccuping because of her crying, Lily pointed at her parents' picture. "My Mum and Dad are dead, Jules…they're…they're gone…" She began to cry again. Juliet felt tears forming in her eyes too.  
  
"Oh, Lils, I am so sorry. I am so sorry." Juliet rocked Lily back and forth as she stroked her auburn hair. Having met Lily's parents a couple times, Juliet knew how special they were to Lily. They loved Lily with all their heart, and they didn't turn their back on her when she received her Hogwarts letter. In fact, their unconditional love for Lily was probably a main reason why Petunia despised her so much. Lily's being a witch made her only more special in the eyes of her parents. Juliet stifled a sob.  
  
Lily spoke softly. "I don't know what to do, Jules. I don't know what to do. I am all alone. I have no one." Juliet shook her head, holding Lily's shoulders so she could face her.  
  
"No, Lils, you are not alone. You have me. You will always have me. You have lots of friends who love you here. You have lots of friends who will always support you. You are never alone." Lily smiled before dissolving back into her tears.  
  
"Petunia probably hates me. She's all I have left as a family, and she hates me. I don't know what I am going to do." Lily sobbed. Juliet took a moment to carefully choose her words.  
  
"Petunia doesn't hate you, Lils. She is just jealous that she had to share your parents' affections with you. She's probably crying just like you. You are her SISTER. She loves you." Lily nodded weakly and put her head on Juliet's shoulder. She crying had slowed down substantially, but tears were still streaming from her eyes. Lily spoke again, in a small voice.  
  
"It's just that…I'm no one's little girl anymore, Jules. I'm no one's little girl." Lily started to cry, and this time, Juliet cried with her too.  
  
~*~  
  
Meanwhile, downstairs in the Great Hall, the guys were discussing Quidditch. Ever since Slytherin's humiliating defeat to Hufflepuff, there was a great chance that Gryffindor will have chance to steal the House Cup from Slytherin this year. That was the topic of James, Sirius, Remus, and Anton's discussion. Peter was off in his own little world, staring at his crush, Elmyra Lonstein, a Hufflepuff.  
  
Practices had been going well, despite the frightful weather outside ("You guys are going to get skewered, I swear" Lily would assert as often as she could when James would attempt to grab his broom), and the team was about as polished as they could be to play against their formidable foe, Slytherin. After a minor scare with some lightening last practice, which included a few bruises and bumps and James' hair sticking up more than usual, everyone was ready to play.  
  
At the Gryffindor table, James turned to Anton. "So what exactly are our chances of beating Ravenclaw at the end of the week?" Anton took large sip of his pumpkin juice and answered James' question.  
  
"A really great chance, mate. The winner Saturday's game will play Slytherin for the House Cup. And considering our track record versus Ravenclaw's this season…we definitely have a chance of playing against Slytherin and winning the House Cup." Anton smiled brightly.  
  
James grin got even wider. "Yes! That's spectacular! We have a chance! I cannot wait for the end of the week to come! We have a chance!" Sirius and Remus were smiling also, and cheering. Peter managed to tear his eyes away from Elmyra and offer a congratulatory cheer to his fellow Gryffindors too.  
  
By the time lunch was nearly over, all the Gryffindor Quidditch players were at the end of the table and were psyched for their game on Saturday. James felt as if nothing could diminish his happy attitude that lunch period.  
  
~*~  
  
After crying some more with Lily, Juliet realized that it was time for her to go back to class. She did not have an excuse if she was tardy, and she especially did not want to be late to Charms. Juliet patted Lily on the back and untangled herself from Lily's hug. She used her handkerchief to wipe Lily's eyes once again.  
  
"I'm sorry Lils, but I have to get back to class. I will be thinking of you, though." Juliet picked up the sandwich that fell on the ground, still wrapped in the napkin. "Here, have a bite of this. You haven't had any lunch."  
  
Lily took the sandwich, but placed it on her bed. "What's the point of eating? What's the point of living?" She said sadly, as she glanced at the picture of her parents once more. She began to cry again, slow sobs coming from her pretty face. Juliet's voice became louder and more determined.  
  
"Lily Evans, get a hold of yourself. Listen to me: YOU HAVE TO EAT. I know this is difficult for you, and that life doesn't seem very fair right now, but you must take care of yourself. That is what you parents probably want you to do…not mope for them and go down some self-destructive path. They want you to be healthy and happy and live a wonderful life." Juliet opened the sandwich and gave a half of it to Lily, who started taking slow, cautious bites.  
  
"Besides," Juliet continued, "You are slim enough as it is. We don't want people to think you're sickly. You have to take care of yourself." Lily smiled a weak smile to Juliet, as she began to take more bites of the sandwich. Lily was too sad to hear that her stomach was grumbling, having missed lunch and parts of breakfast.  
  
"Thanks for everything, Jules. I don't know what I would do without you here." Lily said quietly, as she hugged Juliet once more. Juliet kissed Lily on the cheek and began to grab her books.  
  
"Anything for you, Lils. I know this is rough, and it's going to take some time to heal, but remember, I am always there fore you. We are all here for you. We are going to get through this." Juliet smiled. "I'm going to go back down to the guys, okay? I'm going to tell them you're here, so they won't be worried."  
  
At that statement, Lily's face fell. She shook her head. Juliet turned. "What's wrong, Lily?"  
  
Lily stammered, "Don't tell the guys that my parents died, ok? Don't tell anyone…I don't need pity right now. People already think of my as weird, being a Muggle-born and all, and I don't need anymore of their looks and whispering when they find out that my parents died." Juliet looked confused.  
  
"But Lils, Sirius, Remus, James, and Peter won't do anything like that. They will help you. They love you. Sirius will feel horrible and James will take care of you." Lily shook her head.  
  
"Don't Juliet, please. Just for right now. I'll tell them later, when I feel ready. I don't want Sirius or Remus to worry about me. And I surely don't want James to go out of his way to help me, because he will, I KNOW he will. I'll tell them when it's time, ok? Just for right now, tell them that I am sick." Lily pleaded to Juliet.  
  
Juliet sighed. "Alright, whatever you want Lils. But we'll always be there fore you. I'll be back after class to check on you, ok?"  
  
Juliet left the room, and shut the door quietly behind her. Lily sighed and wiped some extra tears from the corners of her eyes. She began to clean up all of the stuff she threw out of the trunk. She wanted to speak to Dumbledore as soon as possible.  
  
~*~  
  
Dumbledore was surprised that Lily wanted to speak with him only a few hours after he told her the news. Lily was no longer crying, but had a strong look of determination and strength on her face that Dumbledore admired. 'That's a Gryffindor alright,' he thought, glancing at Lily's stoic, yet sad demeanor when she arrived at his office. 'Things may be troubled on the outside, but always brave and strong on the inside.' Lily sat down and listened intently as Dumbledore told her about her family situation.  
  
"Ms. Evans, I have been speaking to various people in the Ministry who have spoken to your family. In your parents' will, they left the house to you and Petunia, and your Aunt Lavinia is coming over to live there until you and Petunia are financially able to live on your own." Lily smiled a weak smile.  
  
She loved her Aunt Lavinia dearly, she was her father's younger sister, and she was glad that Lavinia wanted to come and stay with them. Dumbledore continued.  
  
"Your parents' funeral, as arranged by your mother's side, has been tentatively scheduled for this Friday. Now, I am able to grant you a leave of absence from school from Friday until Sunday. Is that alright with you?" Dumbledore asked Lily, to make sure she was okay with the plans. Lily nodded.  
  
"That sounds good, Professor Dumbledore." Dumbledore nodded and proceeded with his talk.  
  
"Very well, then. Hagrid will escort you to the train station early Friday morning, and your family will meet you at the station later that day. Hagrid will also be at the station when you return to Hogwarts on Sunday, and bring you back to the castle." Lily nodded, and thanked Professor Dumbledore for helping her out.  
  
"Please, do not thank me, Lily. I am very sorry about parents. If there is anything that I, or Professor McGonagall, or anyone else can do for you here at Hogwarts, please feel free to come to my office and tell me." Lily smiled and left Dumbledore's office.  
  
~*~  
  
Juliet had told the guys that Lily wasn't feeling very well and that she was lying down in bed. Naturally, everyone hoped that Lily was doing alright, and they wanted to see her. After convincing James and Sirius that Lily did not want to be seen, and practically throwing herself in front of their dorm room to block the two guys, Juliet persuaded everyone attention back to their homework and the excitement about the Gryffindor-Ravenclaw showdown for the chance for the House Cup on Saturday.  
  
By the time Friday arrived, Lily, who had returned to classes two days prior, was packed and ready to attend her parents' funeral. She tried to put on a happy face to everyone in her classes, but Juliet could tell it was a strain. Lily was hurting inside, and she needed the closure of her parents' funeral and the comfort of her family to feel better. In the morning, Juliet was hugging Lily again as Lily was gathering her trunk by the doorway.  
  
"I'm going to miss you, Lils. Please take care of yourself. Even though I can't go with you back to your house, I am with you in spirit. Always." Lily smiled a teary-eyed smile as she hugged and Juliet again.  
  
"Thanks Jules. You don't know how much that means to me. You have been such a good friend to me this entire week. I know it must have been hard for you to sleep with me crying all night." Lily's façade of happiness crumbled in the nighttime when she cried herself to sleep. Juliet was there for her, every night, comforting her and reassuring her that everything would be okay.  
  
Juliet helped Lily with her trunk as Lily walked through the Common Room toward the Portrait Hole. Sirius, Remus, and Peter were there, wishing Lily good bye too.  
  
Sirius came up to Lily first and said, "Bye, Lils. Have a safe trip. Hope you sort out the 'family business' okay. I'll cheer extra loud for you at the Quidditch game tomorrow." Sirius smiled and hugged Lily. Lily had told everyone that she had to leave for 'family business' on Friday, and she would be returning Sunday.  
  
Peter hugged Lily next and wished her a safe trip. "Thanks Peter. Take care too." Lily said, as Remus approached her.  
  
Remus hugged her and whispered in her ear, "Please take care of yourself Lily. I am very sorry about your parents." Lily nodded, holding back her tears again. Juliet told Remus about Lily's parents, and Lily did not mind. Remus had been her friend for a while, and it was alright that he knew, since he was dating Juliet and Juliet told him everything. Lily hugged him and sniffled. She waved goodbye to her friends as she stepped out of the Portrait Hole toward the entrance of the castle to meet Hagrid.  
  
She was walking down the long corridor when she saw James running toward her clad in his entire Quidditch uniform. His robe was swinging wildly just before he stopped in front of Lily.  
  
"Oh gosh, I thought you'd already left, Lily. Didn't want you to leave without saying goodbye first." Lily put down her trunk with a genuine smile as James held out his arms. Lily hugged James, who hugged her back.  
  
"Yeah, I'm really sorry I'm missing your Quidditch game, James, with the House Cup at stake and everything. I know how much it means to you. But be careful out there, and I'll see you Sunday." She whispered, embracing him.  
  
"Hey, it's alright…don't worry about it. Family is more important than Quidditch. Say hello to your parents and Petunia for me. Please send them my regards." James said, holding firmly to Lily.  
  
'If only you knew the true impact of those words.' Lily thought ruefully in her mind. "Thanks a lot. Just grab the snitch, Jamesie, and I'll talk to you later. Good luck." She kissed him on the cheek and started to pull back as James reluctantly released Lily from his grasp.  
  
"Will do, ma'am." They shared a smile as Lily tried to smooth out some of his hair that had flopped characteristically out of place. Glancing at James' watch, Lily picked up her trunk again, and began to walk back down the corridor, her silky hair flying loose behind her.  
  
James turned. "Are you sure you don't need any help out?" He yelled to Lily's fleeting figure. Lily turned her head, mouthed 'No, thank you', and waved. She continued to walk to the entrance where Hagrid was waiting for her.  
  
A smile slowly crept across James' face and with a new burst of energy, James ran through the Portrait Hole toward his room to get his broom for a final Quidditch practice.  
  
~*~  
  
The next day was the big game. James could barely sleep, and Remus had to put a Sleeping Spell on him in the middle of the night to keep James from getting up and pacing. By the time morning came, everyone in the dorm was groggy. During breakfast, James managed to calm down as he quietly ate his oatmeal with Remus, Sirius, and Peter.  
  
"So," said a drawling voice from behind them, "What do you deem the odds are of Gryffindor winning today?"  
  
"Probably," said James, without looking up from his food, "the same as the odds that you never wash your hair, Snape." Sirius, Remus and Peter laughed.  
  
"How can we help you, Slimy?"  
  
"You think you're so funny, Potter," retorted Snape. "I'll have you know I take a shower every day."  
  
"What are you trying to do, Snape? Fill my pure mind with disturbing images of you naked? I don't really care, though I am surprised there are showers in the Slytherin common room." James had said all this without looking up, but when he did, he was face to face with an angry-looking Snape. You could practically see the steam coming out from his ears. James smiled an internal smile. He loved winding people up – especially since he really didn't have a temper at all.  
  
"C'mon," said Snape resentfully to his fellow Slytherins, who had just arrive next to him, "let's leave the losers."  
  
"Yeah, c'mon," said James, mimicking Snape's high-pitched voice. He waved to Peter and Remus. "Let's let the losers leave." Snape shot him a look of pure hatred, and all four of them burst out laughing.  
  
"He looked like he'd swallowed a lemon," said Peter, giggling.  
  
"Oh poor Snapey," said Sirius. "So ugly, so friendless, and so brainless. What a shame."  
  
"Except in Potions," Remus reminded Sirius.  
  
"Uggh, thanks for reminding me," said Sirius, now looking as though he'd swallowed a lemon also.  
  
After a few more minutes, James had to leave to go to the changing rooms, and they guys wished him the best for luck for the game. Juliet, who was passing through the corridor with some other girls, wished James luck also. He nodded his appreciation. James suddenly imagined Lily with those others girls and remembered her wishing him good luck in the hallway the day before. Rubbing his cheek, James grinned stupidly and headed quickly to the changing rooms.  
  
~*~  
  
There was a party in the common room that night. There was no major reason, except for the fact that Gryffindor was now in the running with the Slytherins for the House Cup.  
  
The weather was nice and accommodating at the stadium that afternoon and the Ravenclaws put up a amazing fight against the Gryffindors. Both teams were tied 0-0 for the entire afternoon, until James finally ended the game by grabbing the snitch before the Ravenclaw seeker. Chasers and Keepers of both teams were relieved and worn out by the time the snitch was caught. James was just glad the anxiety was over with. At the end of the game, after an earth-shattering cheer from the Gryffindor side and a colossal groan from the Ravenclaws, the partying began in the Gryffindor Tower.  
  
James and Sirius provided food and drinks, much to the delight of the other students. A group of second-years were impressed with how they had managed to find the kitchens and bring back all the food, and find three secret passages within the castle. James smiled an enigmatic smile, remembering his awe when he first discovered them, and made sure, however, not to tell anyone about his secret weapon, the Cloak.  
  
~*~  
  
A/N: Sorry…to all those I said Chapter 8 brought some serious L/J action…I meant Chapter 9 and 10. Some little tidbits in here…but more later, I promise!  
  
Lily's ordeal is almost over with. The loose ends are tied up in the next chapter. I'm heading toward Christmas time too! Yippee.  
  
Sorry somewhat short…I'm in a lot of pain and I have a horrid headache. Anyway, thanks so much for reading my story (I cannot BELIEVE I'm headed toward Chapter 9 already!), and review!  
  
Take care, my darlings.  
  
~ Stellar  
  
MY AWESOME REVIEWERS! WHAT WOULD I DO WITHOUT YOU?  
  
(probably sit around and type, all by myself, that's what…)  
  
THANKS!  
  
Ariana – I know! Poor Lily…so sad! I'm glad you like the story! Thanks for reading and reviewing!  
  
Seshat – Alrighty, so Chapter 8 was rather lame in the 'L/J Action Meter'…but once Christmas comes, I swear, things will definitely start to heat up. Anyway, thanks for reading and reviewing! But yeah, James survived the stormy Quidditch weather! Can't have HIM die yet! (Nooooooooo!)  
  
Skye – Thanks so much for reading and reviewing! I'm happy you like the chapters (though they were very sad). Next one's here! Thanks for reviewing 3 times! I am very appreciative!  
  
Snow Flurry – Hehe, I'm very glad that you like my story! I am trying my very best to write a good one! Yeah, I try to post as quickly as I can…since it's Spring Break now, I'm writing even faster! Thanks so much for reading and reviewing…L/J action coming up now (and I promise Sophie will be done with soon! Uggh, I can't even stand her, and she's my own character!) And as for those secretive glances…well….read and see! ^-^  
  
Quinn – I know! Poor Lily has to go through this alone…thanks for reading and reviewing. It is very much appreciated. My faithful reviewer of 4 reviews! ^-^  
  
Thistlemeg - Thanks for the compliment about my Dumbledore/McGonagall news part. Yeah, that was somewhat hard to write…I have the whole storyline in my head, but now I have to transfer it on paper. Thanks for reviewing every chapter; it means a lot to me. Take care! Here's the next installment.  
  
Slytherin Sweetheart – Oh gosh…thanks for the wonderful compliment! I am trying the best I can to write this story (not exactly the most eloquent or brilliant author out there, believe me). Thanks so much for reading and reviewing!  
  
LupinsLover – Hey! Thanks for reviewing after every chapter! I really like feedback, in any shape, way, or form. I am very glad you like the story! Muchas gracias for all the reviews and the comments. L/J action is on its way!  
  
KittyKat – No problemo for telling you about the next installment, if you want other ones, please tell me and I would gladly do so. Next chapter is up! Glad you like the story so far! Thanks very much!  
  
THANKS AGAIN TO ALL MY REVIEWERS! I APPRECIATE YOUR FEEDBACK VERY MUCH! 


	9. Chapter 9

Disclaimer: Not mine. Never will be. Let's leave it at that, shall we?  
  
Now approaching Chapter 9…  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
While James was busying catching snitches and Sirius was snogging every Gryffindor girl he could manage to lay his hands on, Lily was at home, attending her parents' funeral.  
  
It was a somber day, when she arrived on the train platform with Hagrid, that Friday morning. Where it was sunny and bright at Hogwarts, it was dark and overcast at the train station. Lily was silent the entire carriage ride there. Hagrid tried his best to be as cheerful as possible, but he knew he could not say anything that could possible lift Lily from her melancholy state. He opted for more quick, supportive glances at her throughout the ride, to check if she was okay. Lily returned the glances with a smile, but continued to look gloomily out the window.  
  
When they arrived at the station, Lily's train was already there and waiting and Hagrid helped Lily with her trunk. When everything was loaded, Lily turned to Hagrid and thanked him.  
  
"Thanks Hagrid, for accompanying me to the station. I know I wasn't exactly the most friendliest passenger to ride with in the carriage." Lily smiled a weak, apologetic smile. Hagrid swatted his hand.  
  
"Never you mind, Lily. I'm really sorry about yer folks, m'dear. So sad to see a girl of yer age having to deal with all've this. Take care've yerself, and I'll see you in three days." Hagrid smiled and waved to Lily as she boarded the train. She waved back from the window. He continued to wave as the train began to move and grew smaller and smaller toward the horizon.  
  
~*~  
  
The funeral services were private, simple, and extremely touching. Luckily neither Lily nor Petunia had to speak, for which Lily was entirely grateful. She did not believe she could say anything remotely related to her parents without dissolving into tears in front of everyone.  
  
Various family members, including Petunia, were there to greet Lily at the train station, and she was taken to her home. She sat in the backseat of the car with Petunia, who refused to look Lily in the eye. Lily was incredibly saddened. Despite the fact Petunia was never very warm to her in the past, Lily was hoping that for this day, this occasion, Petunia would be there for comfort and for security. Glancing at Petunia's solemn face, Lily figured that today would not be that day. She felt her heart clench.  
  
Walking through her house was like walking through another time zone. Even though everything was in its ordinary place, with pictures of Lily and Petunia scattered amongst her parents' Muggle belongings and furniture, without the warm, caring presence of her parents, it just did not seem the same. Lily walked up to her bedroom and placed her trunk by her large canopy bed. She walked over to her large, bay windows and glanced outside to her balcony. Her gaze fell to a shiny, crystal wind-chime that was hanging above the balcony. Lily smiled as she remembered a time in her fourth-year when Sirius, Remus, and James flew to her house and nearly collided with the wind-chime. Her father had made that when she was sick with pneumonia, when she was eight. Lily remembered screaming at Sirius when he barely missed breaking the chime with his broom.  
  
"Gosh, Lily, I did not mean to hit it. Sorry." Sirius said, throwing Lily and apologetic glance.  
  
Lily smiled fondly at the recollection. She was glad that Sirius did not hit, or even worse break, the chime now. Items such as those were all she had left of her parents, besides their living memories in her heart.  
  
Since the funeral was to start in about an hour, Lily changed out of her school robes and into a long, black Muggle dress that was in her closet. It was very expensive, and her mother always said to wear it for "special occasions only." Lily held back tears as she contemplated the irony of that statement now. 'I did not want that special occasion to be your funeral, Mum.' Lily said as she zipped up the dress and grabbed her heeled shoes. Lily walked downstairs to see many more relatives sitting around her living room and in the kitchen. She also saw Petunia speaking to a very loud, and very large, young man.  
  
By that time, people began to head toward the cemetery, and Lily joined them. There had already been a wake at the funeral home the day before, but Lily did not attend that. At the cemetery, it was a solemn sight to see both sides of Lily's family there, crying and praying at the graves of her parents. The priest spoke a few words and prayers before the eulogies began. Lily's Aunt Lavinia spoke first, and she promised to "do everything in her power to ensure Petunia and Lily's happiness" just as her parents had wanted. A few of her parents' closest friends and co-workers spoke and finally their coffins were lowered into the ground. Lily and Petunia both threw flowers after the coffins, and Petunia began to wail. She was convulsing and crying and she was lead to the car by a few of their relatives. Lily, on the other hand, tried to remain strong and walked slowly back to her Aunt.  
  
When the ceremony was over, and everyone was leaving the cemetery, Lily wanted to stay back for a moment to be with her parents. Aunt Lavinia understood, and told Lily that she would be waiting by the car with Petunia. Lily thanked her and slowly made her way to her parents' shared tombstone.  
  
Wiping away a tear, Lily started to speak slowly. "Hello Dad…hello Mum. How are you? I am so very sorry I did not get to say goodbye to you, because I really wanted to. There is so much left unsaid that I never got a chance to say. I miss you guys so much…I miss you the most, Mum, in the nighttime, right before I go to sleep. I can still hear you singing to me, before I go to bed. I know this may seem childish, since I've been going to boarding school for about six years now, and I don't see you very often, but I still miss you. I love you both, Mum and Dad. And when we meet again, I promise I will say that to you." By this time, Lily was crying freely. She did not hold back her sobs. "I did not want things to end this way, Mummy. I am so sorry…you were not supposed to have felt any pain when you died. I am sorry that I was gone for so long at Hogwarts…I am sorry that I am a witch…I'm so sorry…"  
  
Lily started to get up, wiping the tears that were trickling down her face. "James sends his regards. You remember him, don't you Daddy? He was that nice fellow with the glasses, who stopped by the house early in the summer. He was the one asking you all those questions when you were fixing the car. He helped you too." Lily knew she had to leave before she dissolved into one giant tear. "Everyone says I should just let this go, and move on with my life. But I can't. I can't let go. I don't want to let go of our memories." Lily stood up and touched her parents' gravestone. "I will love you forever, Mummy and Daddy."  
  
And with that, Lily turned her heel and walked back to the car. She did not look back.  
  
~*~  
  
"Would you like some more water, dear?"  
  
Lily looked up from her glass of water. She was standing in her living room, talking with some of her relatives after the funeral. Her mother's friend was holding a pitcher of water, and was pouring some of that water for the various guests scattered throughout the house after the services at the cemetery.  
  
"Oh, I'm perfectly satiated, thank you." Lily responded politely, taking another sip of water. For the past hour, Lily was subjugated to the tortuously mindless conversation of her sister Petunia and Petunia's new boyfriend, Vernon.  
  
Evidently, they began dating at the end of the summer and Petunia was eager to 'show him off' to the family. Vernon, apparently, had come to the house a couple times and met Mr. and Mrs. Evans. Lily rolled her eyes as Vernon and Petunia continued schmoozing with the relatives. There was something about him that Lily could not stand—his demeanor, his awful laugh, and the way he looked at Lily as if she was some piece of meat. Lily just smiled a tight smile when they were introduced.  
  
'Well, I am happy for her, I guess.' Lily said, taking another glance at Vernon, who was rubbing Petunia's back in an almost obscene way. 'Whatever makes her happy. Though I do believe he WILL be a frightful brother-in- law.' Lily downed her water in one gulp and headed back up to her room. She had a headache.  
  
After engaging in some chit chat with her relatives, answering the usual asinine questions ('So, how's school like?' 'You still go to that boarding school for gifted people?' 'Do you have a boyfriend?' 'My, Lily, you're all grown up and beautiful!') Lily found sanctuary in her room. She could not wait for Sunday to arrive and to be back home with her friends. Even though closure was necessary and comforting for Lily, she wanted things to return back to normal…and that meant going back to Hogwarts.  
  
When Sunday morning arrived, Lily was already packed and ready to return back to school. She took a heartfelt glimpse around her house one more time and headed out the door with Petunia and her aunt. Lily made sure to pack extra pictures of her parents from home in her trunk.  
  
At the station, Petunia actually gave Lily a hug and wished her a safe trip back. Lily was surprised, but appreciative.  
  
"Goodbye, Lily. Have a safe trip…uhh, be careful…doing the things that you do." Petunia shifted uncomfortably as Lily returned her hug.  
  
Lily smiled and tried to find the love in her sister's statement. "Bye, 'Tunia. I'll be careful. You be safe too. Have fun with Vernon." After kissing and thanking her Aunt Lavinia, Lily boarded the train and waved from the window. Aunt Lavinia waved back, and Petunia mustered out twitching smile from her scowl.  
  
Lily met Hagrid at the station and they returned back to Hogwarts. Running through the entrance and up toward Gryffindor Tower, Lily was enlivened by the energy of the students and her friends again. She waved to her tutee that was walking in the hallway, and she practically crushed Juliet in a hug, when she saw her in front of the Portrait Hole.  
  
"Lily! You're back!" Juliet hugged her friend. Her look of excitement turned to that of concern. "How are you? Is everything alright?"  
  
Lily calmed down and nodded. "Yes, everything is alright, Jules. I had a nice talk with my parents and I think I have come to terms with what's happened." Juliet and Lily both smiled a teary-eyed smile and they hugged again. All to soon, Juliet released.  
  
"I am so glad you are back and are okay. I would love to stay with you longer Lils, but I have to get down to McGonagall's classroom." Juliet pointed to the opposite direction and started walking quickly down the hallway. "I'll catch up with you later!" Lily smiled and proceeded to walk through the Portrait Hole with her trunk. After dropping off her trunk in her room, Lily discarded her robe and walked over to the boys' dormitories, hoping to see her other friends. The door was open, and Lily saw that they guys' were crowded around something on Peter's bed, with their back's to the door.  
  
Lily quietly snuck over to where the guys were sitting and put her hands over James' glasses. She bent down and whispered in his ear. "Guess who?"  
  
James spun around quickly, and jumped up. "Lily! You're back!" He jumped off the bed and pulled her into a huge hug as the Sirius, Remus, and Peter began to turn around also.  
  
Lily wrapped her arms around James and laughed as he nearly cut off her oxygen with his strong grip. "Geez, Jamesie. Miss me much?" She heard James' muffled laughter, as he slowly moved his face away from her hair.  
  
"Well you know," James said in a quiet tone, "absence does make the heart grow fonder."  
  
Lily looked straight into James' piercing eyes and said, in the same tone, "Yes, it does, doesn't it?" Their faces were inches apart when Sirius' screaming suddenly rang out.  
  
"Hey, James! Would you stop hogging Lily and let us get a hug too? C'mon!" Sirius shook his head in mock anger, as he opened up his arms toward Lily. Directing their gaze from Sirius back to each other, James sheepishly let go of Lily as she walked to Sirius and gave him a hug.  
  
"That's more like it! Missed ya, Lils." Sirius said to Lily as they embraced. Lily then walked over and gave Remus and Peter hugs too.  
  
"Glad you're home, Lily." Remus said.  
  
"Me too. We missed your smiling face around here." Peter said quietly. Lily's face brightened. They started asking her about her trip when Lily held up her hand and silenced them.  
  
"No," Lily said, as everyone seated themselves back on the bed. "I have to ask the most important question first." She directed her gaze to Sirius and James. "Did Gryffindor beat the crap out of Ravenclaw in yesterday's game?"  
  
By the blinding smiles that James and Sirius gave Lily, she could only guess that the answer was 'yes.' She congratulated James and by that time, Juliet had walked into the room also. For the rest of the evening, Lily spent time laughing and talking with her friends. It felt good to be home.  
  
~*~  
  
A couple weeks later, the mood had unmistakably changed at Hogwarts. Christmas was definitely on its way. Professors Flitwick, McGonagall, and Crogh could be seen all around the castle putting assortments of decorations up. Their festive spirit was contagious, and soon everyone had holiday fever. The various corridors and classrooms were filled with boughs of holly, and enchanted singing snowmen were all throughout the castle, singing and spreading cheer to all the students and teachers. In the four corners of the Great Hall, ice carvings of the four house creatures had been erected, with a large ice sculpture standing behind the High Table.  
  
The weather was perfect also, with beautiful snowfalls each night, blanketing the entire campus in glittery, powdery snow. Hogwarts looked like a wintry wonderland. Because of the weather though, the House Cup championship had to be postponed until the snow had thawed, much to the Quidditch players' dismay.  
  
As usual, Professor McGonagall came around a few weeks before the end of term with a list of students who would be staying at Hogwarts for the Christmas holidays. After the fun he had had last year, James had opted to stay at the school again, and had sent an explanatory note to his parents. Mr. and Mrs. Potter did not mind James' decision, because they decided to visit some long-distance relatives over the holidays. Their reply back to James included James' presents and an acknowledgement that he would not be returning on the Hogwarts Express. Sirius and Peter were visiting their parents over the holiday season, so none of them would be staying also. Remus had also decided to visit his parents this year; he told Juliet in private that it would make his transformation more bearable.  
  
Of the girls, only Lily decided to stay, because she couldn't bear (or so she said) spending Christmas with Petunia and watching her ogle her boyfriend. Therefore, she would be staying at Hogwarts for the holidays. Juliet was spending half of her holidays with Remus and the other half with her older sister Ophelia, who was married and just had a new baby girl. Lily bought a little gift and gave it to Juliet to give to her new niece. Juliet smiled brightly and hugged Lily.  
  
On the last day of school, Lily and James escorted their friends to the train station to wish them a wonderful holiday. After helping Remus, Sirius, Peter, and Juliet with their trunks and gifts, Lily and James waved to them from train platform.  
  
Sirius, opened the window and yelled to his friends. "Happy Christmas, James! Happy Christmas Lily! Take care of yourselves, and have a good time!" Lily and James called back.  
  
"Happy Christmas to you too, Sirius! Say hello to your parents for me! Wish them a nice holiday!" Lily said, waving to Sirius. James reciprocated.  
  
"Bye Padfoot! I'll owl you later! Happy Christmas! I hope you like my gift!" James waggled his eyebrows.  
  
Remus, Peter, and Juliet each took their turns saying their good-byes to James and Lily. When Juliet stuck her head out the window, she blew a kiss to Lily.  
  
"Happy Christmas, Lils! I will be thinking of you! Write me, okay? Have a good time…with James." Juliet said slyly, throwing Lily a smirk. Lily opened her mouth to respond, but all she could do was blush. Sensing Lily's embarrassment, and her own good judgement, Juliet laughed and waved once more to her friends.  
  
"Bye James! Bye Lily! See you after Christmas…happy new year too!" James and Lily waved again, as the Hogwarts Express began to move.  
  
Inside the train compartment, Remus said to Juliet, who was sitting back down, "So it's only James and Lily staying at Hogwarts this year?"  
  
Juliet smiled slyly and nodded. "Yeah. Of course, they are not the ONLY ones at Hogwarts…but they are alone. God knows what they'll do." Sirius, sensing what Juliet was getting at, spoke up.  
  
"I knew it! I knew it! None of you guys believed me, but I knew something was going on between them!" With an assured smile on his face, Sirius crossed his arms across his chest and sat back in his seat. Peter looked confused.  
  
"James and Lily are dating? When did that happen?" Juliet shook her head to Peter's question.  
  
"No, they are not dating…yet. But anyone could tell that Lily has a thing for James, and with this golden opportunity—ahem, them being together Christmas holiday—something is bound to happen." Juliet nodded her head.  
  
"Yeah, and James is acting like a lovesick fool too. You've seen how he can't keep his hands off her." Sirius replied, knowingly. "It's just a matter of time before they admit their feelings to each other."  
  
"And when they finally decide to admit that to us." Remus emphasized, as train continued to move away from Hogwarts. "But whatever happens, let's just say it's going to be a very happy Christmas."  
  
~*~  
  
Standing on the train platform, watching the train disappear, Lily and James fell silent. Now that their friends were gone, it was just the two of them left.  
  
"So," Lily said, turning to James. "What do you want to do now?"  
  
James looked down to Lily and said, "To be honest…I have no idea. With Sirius gone, it already seems that much quieter." Lily laughed.  
  
"Well, want to head back to Hogwarts?" Lily asked, watching the other students start to head back as well from the train station. James considered that idea and nodded his head.  
  
"Hmm." He said, rapidly jumping up and grabbing Lily's hand. "Come, Fair Goddess of Beauty," he said, while Lily laughed at his sudden burst of energy. "We must find a way out of here." And at that, James dragged Lily out of the train station, cackling insanely.  
  
Once out the station, James and Lily began running, rather clumsily, through the thick snow towards the entrance of Hogwarts. They still had their heavy robes and scarves on, so it was quite a sight to see two teenagers trying to sprint towards the castle. Still holding tightly to James' hand, Lily squeezed it to catch James' attention.  
  
"James, would you mind slowing down a bit? My legs aren't exactly as long as yours." Lily was a tad bit out of breath as James slowed their pace on their way through the snow. The castle looked very magical at that moment, with the light snowfall covering the roof and surrounding the grounds. James and Lily took in the beautiful atmosphere as they gazed around them. James also took this opportunity to talk to Lily.  
  
Rather quietly, James said, "I'm really happy that I get to spend Christmas holiday with you, Lily." He voice was slow and sincere, and Lily nearly missed his statement since he was looking down at the snow. At the moment, Lily got rather shy too.  
  
"I am very glad I get to spend Christmas with you too, James."  
  
James continued speaking. "I know we really didn't have such a great start, you know, with me hating you most of third year and all, but I really want to get to know you better. I mean, you're one of my closest friends, and I know you pretty well, but what I mean to say is that, well, I want to REALLY get to know you, and…" Lily smiled shyly, as James continued to mumble. She held his hand tighter.  
  
"It's just that you are a really special girl, and I like you a lot, and I don't want to ruin the friendship that we already have, but I can't help feeling this strong attraction to you. Please don't feel obligated to like me back, because I'm not exactly the most perfect guy in the world—I mean, I have a horrible way with words, my hair's funny, these wierd glasses, and I have this devouring obsession with Quidditch—and now I feel like some bumbling idiot who is boring you to death with all my nonsense…" Lily laughed as James nervously ran his free hand through his hair. Noticing Lily's reaction, James stopped walking and turned to face Lily.  
  
Taking a deep breath, James started again. "I just wanted to tell you how incredibly special you are to me, and how much I enjoy being your friend. I know this is all really sudden, and if you don't feel the same way, I will definitely understand." Looking down, James locked eyes with Lily, who was still standing there, firmly holding his hand. After a few awkward moments, James was certain Lily did not feel the same way and was about to continue back up to the castle, when suddenly Lily released her hand from his hold.  
  
Standing on her tiptoes, James was about to speak but was stopped when Lily's hands moved to his face and she kissed him squarely on the lips.  
  
It was a chaste kiss, but sweet nonetheless, and by the way Lily was kissing him, James could tell that she took everything he just said to heart and felt exactly the same way too. He was surprised at first, and just stood there in awe as Lily was kissing him. But after registering what she was doing, and breathing a huge sigh of relief, he closed his eyes and began kissing her back.  
  
They stood there for a long while until Lily's lips slowly detached themselves from James'. He mentally groaned. His eyes remained closed, hoping to savor the sweet moment that had just unfolded before him. He opened his eyes slowly and said, "Lily…" He looked in front of him, and was surprised to see that Lily was not there. He got confused.  
  
"Lily? Lily?" James started to turn around but could not find her anywhere. His shoulders slumped.  
  
"Hey, Potter!" James turned around quickly and saw Lily standing about five feet away, with her arms behind her back. "Think quickly!"  
  
Just as James was about to move, he was hit by a snowball directly in the chest. Lily laughed as she noticed James' horrified expression and began to make another ball. James brushed the snow off of himself and laughed too.  
  
"Evans, do you always pelt guys with snowballs after they express their innermost feelings to you?" He said as he began scooping up snow into a huge ball. "Especially after you kiss them?" He ducked another snowball as he threw his own, hitting Lily on the arm.  
  
"You can't really know, James. You haven't kissed me enough yet." Lily said, ducking another snowball. "Though from the expression on your face, I think you actually WANT to find out." Lily smiled as threw another snowball, aimed at James' chest.  
  
James stopped what he was doing and began running towards Lily. "Believe me, you have NO idea."  
  
Sensing that James was charging toward her, Lily yelped and began running away from James. They continued to throw snowballs at each other and even enticed some other Hogwarts students that were on the grounds to join them in a huge snowball fight. Pretty soon, snowballs were flying from every direction, and no one was safe.  
  
~*~  
  
Later in the evening, after the snowball fight subsided and everyone returned inside the castle, Lily was sitting in the Gryffindor Common Room. She was sitting alone on the couch, in front of the crackling fire. James' and her robes were laid in front of the fire to dry, and Lily was sitting cross-legged on the couch. James was not there, so Lily had some time alone to fully contemplate what James had told her previously that afternoon. As the other Gryffindors that had stayed at Hogwarts walked through the Common Room, Lily was deep in thought.  
  
She had always known that there was a spark of attraction between her and James but never in her wildest dreams did she guess that James would come out and tell her his feelings that day. She had figured that he probably valued their platonic friendship more and would not want to jeopardize that for a fleeting, physical relationship. Lily laughed. 'How wrong was I,' she thought to herself, running a finger along the edge of the couch.  
  
Lily was very excited to know that James liked her more than a friend, and she the same, but also very nervous about how those newfound feelings would change their relationship and their relationship with their friends. After James had professed his emotions to her in the snow outside of Hogwarts, they hadn't spoken about that incident since. Lily was confused and troubled, and there was still a lot to work out, but overall she felt happy. She was just about to think about that some more when a sound from the Portrait Hole diverted her attention.  
  
Lily saw the door open, but no figure walk through it, and watched the Portrait slam shut. She heard footsteps approach her and then James' head pop out of thin air, as if floating on nothing. James proceeded to take off the rest of his Invisibility Cloak. He then started walking toward Lily.  
  
"Hey. You hungry? Just made my rounds down in the kitchens." James pulled out a mince pie from his bag and began to devour it. Lily felt her stomach grumble as she saw James' mince pie.  
  
"James, if there is a lemon scone in that bag…it could be love." Lily said with a smile, as James sat down next to her on the couch.  
  
With a mouth full of pie ("Attractive" Lily commented sarcastically), James said, "It must be fate, Lily" and placed the bag in Lily's hand.  
  
Lily opened the bag and, to her astonishment, pulled out a lemon scone. Laughing lightly to herself, Lily could sense James' smiling face above her.  
  
"It definitely must be fate, Jamesie." Lily said as she began nibbling on her scone, resting her head against James' shoulder, as they sat together on the couch. James laughed as the pair continued to sit and eat in the front of the fire for the rest of the night.  
  
~*~  
  
A/N: Thank God, that's chapter's over. It took forever…I swear, I must be the worst mush writer in the world. Anyway, to everyone who's been waiting patiently: L/J ACTION HAS FINALLY ARRIVED! Granted, it might be a little slow (hey, I'm much better dealing with it in real life than on paper), but it has come now, full-fledged.  
  
Many of you have commented on the speed of my posting. I am surprised that I managed to come out with a chapter a day this week. But please consider that I am on Spring Break, so that means I have a lot of writing time on my hands. By the time I get back to school next week, I will be back to 2-3 days per each update. I haven't even started some of my break homework due to this story! Ahhhh! I usually start writing a chapter at about 7am, finish by 8pm, and post again at about 8am the next morning. Weird schedule, but it works.  
  
And yeah, for all you readers who caught my (second) X-Files reference…uggh, I can't help it! It's too cute to miss! And because of that, I'll write a disclaimer…  
  
Disclaimer: All X-Files references to text belong to Chris Carter and the rest of Ten Thirteen Productions…Frank Spotnitz, Kim Manners, David Duchovny, Gillian Anderson, etc.  
  
Anyway, thanks for reading and please review! Take care, ff..net readers!  
  
~ (a tired) Stellar  
  
REVIEWERS: Readers Emitting Valuable Information Enclosing Words Exemplifying Rational Statements (hmm…my acronyms need work!)  
  
Seshat – Alrighty then! L/J action is here…or at least now, they're somewhat more "close". Yeah, my posting has been extremely fast this week. Scaaary. Oh well, onto Chapter 10!  
  
Abforth – My updating is scaring me also! I manage to keep churning the chapter out…yowza. But anyway, thanks for reading and reviewing, and I am very happy that you like my story! Though I personally do not like Peter, I am trying to keep him involved in the story while making Lily and James seem like normal teenagers (by avoiding the usual cliches seen in some fanfics lately). But yeah…thanks so much for your kind words, and I'll write as fast as I can!  
  
Orca – I am very pleased that you like the whole Remus/Juliet thing. I know some people do not like original characters and how they are placed within the plot, so I am trying to make Juliet as real as possible. Thanks for your input!  
  
Krissia – I am so happy that you like my story! It's great to hear that my story has evoked real emotions from you, the reader. Makes me feel as if I'm a decent writer! Thanks for all the compliments…yeah, I did not want this to be a love/hate story (those I know L/J did not like each other originally, and I incorporated that factor in the beginning), but those are good sometimes too! Thanks for reading and reviewing!  
  
Snow Flurry – Oh gosh, after reading your review, I sure hope the L/J stuff isn't too rushed for you! They had to get together sometime…took me about 9 chapters to do so! Anyway, thanks fore reading and reviewing again!  
  
Thislemeg – L/J action finally arrived. Nothing to major, since it's just starting out, but it's in its "cutesy" stage…Thanks for reading the story and reviewing, and next chapter is coming out very soon!  
  
Anime girl – Hey! Thanks for reading and reviewing my story! Yeah, the Internet can be a real hassle (I can't upload chapters from my comp anymore…I have to do it on my sister's computer!), so thanks for the extra long review! I really appreciate it! I'm really trying my hardest to make Lily and James seem as normal as possible—though I know they are extraordinary characters, the 'most popular' and 'the cutest or coolest' cliches are a bit overdone. I know exactly what you mean about the repetitiveness in the fanfics nowadays…they are all great, but they seem the same sometimes (PLEASE don't thank that statement as condescension…believe me, I don't think I'm the best writer either!) Ohh, my condolences to your friend's dad! Thanks for all the compliments, and I'll update as soon as I can! (And about the weather thing…the sunshine is very nice! ^-^ How's MA? I've always wanted to go there… Sorry about the gloomy weather for you! Email me Anaplasia203@hotmail.com …let's chat!)  
  
Quinn – My faithful reviewer! Thanks for sticking by me and all my chapters! Thanks for readin' and reviewin' as usual! I really appreciate it…good for the 'ol self esteem! Yeah, I hope Gryffindor wins too! Slimy Snape is starting to get me…eww…Glad you love the story! I love your input! ^-^  
  
Vielen Dank! 


	10. Chapter 10

Disclaimer: Not mine…if only. *Sigh*  
  
I swear, fluff is so much harder to write than drama…  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
It was late in the evening. After spending most the night sitting with Lily in front of the fire, it was getting late and James was about ready to retire to his bed. James glanced at his watch and yawned. He still had to take a shower. Turning to his companion, James was going to announce his departure.  
  
"Hey Lils…I think I'm gonna go shower now. Lils?" James looked down to see a sleeping Lily, her legs tucked under her and her head burrowed between the couch cushion and his shoulder. He smiled, but continued with his task.  
  
"Lily…c'mon…you have to wake up." James started shifting his upper body that resulted in a muffled "Mrrmph" from Lily.  
  
James took that moment to run his fingers through her soft, silky hair before resting his hand on her back. "C'mon Lils, you're still on the couch. I think it's time for you to go to bed." James waited for Lily's response when he saw one green eye slowly open from beneath his arm.  
  
"But you make such a great pillow" Lily slurred softly, as she continued to remain stationary on the couch. James chuckled and shook his head.  
  
"Probably not as great as the ones you have in your bed. Come on, I'll even help you up." James started to move and Lily reluctantly started to stretch also. James stood up and flung his Invisibility Cloak over his arm. Lily yawned as she stretched out her legs and arms. She them promptly stood up too.  
  
They cleaned up their crumbs and started walking to the Girls' Dormitory and Prefect's Bathroom. Right where the hallway diverged, the pair stopped and faced each other. After a moment of silence, Lily smiled and spoke first.  
  
"Thanks James, for telling me how you felt today. I know it must have been very hard to express your feelings so openly. But I'm very glad you did, because I like you a lot too…even more than just a friend. I have for a while now." Lily smiled, as James continued to listen intently. "I know we've each been in several relationships, and we've been friends for quite some time, so…I really want things to work out between us. I mean, I'm willing to make things work. I really care about you, James." Lily's voice started to trail off, as she looked down shyly.  
  
James smiled and put his hand to Lily's face, lifting her head up. "And I really care about you too, Lily. I want everything to be perfect for us too." And with that note, James lowered his head down to Lily's, and they began kissing again. That kiss, compared to the one they shared previously, was less chaste but still exuded the same tenderness and love from its prior.  
  
After a few minutes, James felt a tugging and noticed that Lily had turned her head slightly to the left. "I think we better stop now, James." Lily said softly, her face still millimeters away from James. "The third-years are starting to stare."  
  
With a grin, James turned too to see two third-year girls giggling at the couple, with sweet smiles on their faces. James turned back to Lily and replied, "Let them stare." He then proceeded to close the gap that had formed between their faces, as they remained kissing in the hallway, oblivious to the world.  
  
~*~  
  
There were only a handful of other students from the various houses. The Gryffindor Tower had about a quarter of its occupants remaining at Hogwarts, so Lily and James were certainly not the only students there. But they each managed to have their own dormitory and the Prefects' Bathroom for their own use that Christmas holiday.  
  
For the first few days of the holidays, Lily and James decided to get their holiday homework done, so they could enjoy Christmas and the rest of their vacation without that burden hanging over their conscience. There was a lot of work since they had extra homework from their tutorial sessions, but Lily and James tried to stay focused and plow through their assignments.  
  
"Alright then, Mr. Genius," said Lily a couple mornings later, holding up a Transfiguration textbook. "How many registered Animagi have there been this century?"  
  
James looked up from his own Transfiguration textbook. "Hmm?"  
  
Lily smirked. Noticing the latest Quidditch magazine that was slightly popping out from inside his book, Lily was positive James did not hear a single word she had just said. Not that it really mattered.  
  
Shrugging his shoulders, James turned back to his homework and continued to read intently about "Transfiguration".  
  
Lily laughed and sat back in her chair. They were sitting in Lily and Juliet's dorm, finishing their work. Lily was seated at her desk while James was making himself comfortable on her bed. Their books were spread out all over the room and Lily was bent on completing her Advanced Muggle Studies' essay that morning.  
  
Glancing out her window, Lily noticed a familiar shape sail through the grey, overcast sky. She turned to James. "Hey James, isn't that Orion, Sirius' owl?"  
  
James looked up from his magazine and got off Lily's bed. He stood behind her chair and glanced at the area that Lily was pointing towards. Certain that it was Orion that had perched itself on they guys' dormitory window, James quickly turned around and began to head back to his room. "Yeah, Sirius must be sending me a letter."  
  
Following closely behind him, Lily followed James into his room and watched as he opened his window to let Orion in the room. Orion perched nicely next to James' owl Lia, who was sleeping soundly near James' desk in the corner. James placed Lia's water dish next to Orion, who began drinking from it soundly. James also found some owl treats he had stored in his desk to feed to Orion. He then reached for the letter that was dropped on his bed. Lily walked over and sat next to James, looking over his shoulder at the letter.  
  
Dear Prongs,  
  
Hey. How's Hogwarts? Hope all is well. Holiday's been fascinating. Check out my 'flow chart' of important events. You'll love it.  
  
Parents. Boring.  
  
Relatives. Boring.  
  
Trip to London. Not as boring.  
  
Hot blonde in London. Hell yes.  
  
Hot blonde with long legs in London. Oh Man.  
  
Hot blonde with long legs and nice ass in London. There is a God.  
  
….  
  
  
  
By the time Lily's eyes scanned to that part of the letter, she rolled her eyes. Typical Sirius…only been on holiday for a few days, but still manages to find a hot girl to snog with. With a bemused look on his face, James turned the letter over as Sirius finished explaining his current holiday plans.  
  
"Well, glad to know Sirius is having a good time." James said as he got up and went over to his desk. He reached for a quill and some paper.  
  
"Yeah, really. He seems…occupied. In more ways that one." Lily said from James' bed, taking another glance at Sirius' letter. She watched as James scribbled a note back to Sirius, in his small handwriting. "Tell Sirius I say hi."  
  
"Will do, Beautiful", James finished his short letter, signed his name, and searched for a ribbon to tie the note with. When he finally settled on a piece of string from his desk, James walked over to Orion, who was busy sleeping next to Lia, and gently petted the soft owl awake. James attached the letter to Orion's leg and then carefully brought him over the window.  
  
By that point, Lily had opened the window for James and James released Orion back out into the cold winter air. "You know where to go." After hearing James' statement, Orion quickly flew out of sight back towards Sirius' house. The pair watched as the owl flew higher and higher into the white sky.  
  
"Hey, Lily, look over there." James said to Lily, leaning his head farther out the window.  
  
"James, are you mad? It's freezing outside. I'm not sticking my head out the window." Lily shook her head as she shivered. She walked back toward Remus' bed and sat down.  
  
"Fine then." James replied, still staring out the window. "It's just that there is a group of people outside. I'm wondering what they are doing."  
  
Lily shrugged her thin shoulders. "I don't know either."  
  
"Hey, what day is it today?" he asked suddenly.  
  
"Saturday."  
  
"Hmm, Saturday" James said pensively. "I'm pretty sure there's a Hogsmeade visit for everyone still here today. I remember McGonagall announcing that yesterday. But that means that – if it's Saturday – the teachers will not be there."  
  
"So?"  
  
"So," James said, finally shutting the window and turning around to face Lily. "Would you like to go to Hogsmeade? You know, without the teachers or anyone?" He proposed the idea to Lily. "It's that or we can finish doing homework." Lily laughed as James made a horrid face.  
  
"Hogsmeade sounds good. We have nothing better to do. I'm basically finished with my essay anyway," Lily said, getting up from Remus' bed. She started to head toward her own dorm to fetch her robe, since they were now planning to go outside to Hogsmeade. "But James, I don't consider reading a Quidditch magazine for an hour doing homework." She raised an eyebrow.  
  
James looked down guiltily as Lily continued to walk out of his room. "Hey, at least I'm reading!" James called out to her. He could hear Lily's laughter down the staircase.  
  
~*~  
  
Their first stop in Hogsmeade was at Honeydukes, where Lily and James proceeded to buy lots and lots of candy to stock up at Hogwarts. The browsed the various aisles, looking at the brightly colored sweets that were overflowing from their trays and platters.  
  
They left Honeydukes some time later, their pockets bulging with various assortments of sweets. The snow was thick on the ground, and it was bitterly cold. Hand in the hand, the pair decided they were getting thirsty and headed toward the pub for some drinks.  
  
"Wow, it's crowded during the holidays," said James, as they entered. One of the barmaids pointed to a tiny table in the back, where Lily and James squeezed into the corner. They barely had enough room to turn.  
  
Waiting for the barmaid to return, Lily laughed whilst James told her stories of the many antics that occurred during his Quidditch camp that summer. Lily responded by telling James her version of meeting Vernon, Petunia's boyfriend, when she returned home a couple weeks ago. James shuddered in agreement as Lily described how Vernon was leering at her and the all of her cousins.  
  
"Positively sickening, if you ask me." Lily stated, as a barmaid finally approached their table. She was out of breath.  
  
"Lily! James! So nice to see you!" Madam Rosmerta said, looking at the two teenagers sitting at the table. "What brings you here during Christmas holiday? Didn't you go home with your family this year?"  
  
James and Lily shook their heads. "No, we decided we loved Hogwarts so much we could not part with it, even for Christmas" James replied, with a charming smile on his face. Madam Rosmerta laughed.  
  
"So, what can I get for you two?"  
  
"Two Butterbeers, please" Lily answered politely.  
  
"Good choice, for a cold day like this." Madam Rosmerta said, looking out at the snowy ground outside the pub. "And for your information, dear Lily, I do say that there are some striking young men at the table over there who I think might be interested in you." She pointed toward a table on the end where some sixth and seventh year guys were sitting. They were mainly from Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff. Some of the guys were taking fleeting glances at Lily.  
  
Slightly blushing, Lily turned and smiled at James. She turned back to Madam Rosmerta and said, "Yeah, but I think I have everything I could possibly want at my table." Lily reached under the table to twine her fingers with James'. James squeezed her hand.  
  
"Well, I'll be!" Madam Rosmerta said, with a large grin on her face. "I just KNEW you too would get together some day! You too look absolutely wonderful together, not to mention happy!" She started walking back to the counter to send their order. "Two Butterbeers for the lovebirds, coming right up!"  
  
A little while later, Madam Rosmerta returned to their table with two foaming tankards of hot Butterbeer.  
  
"About time, I'm really thirsty," said James, as they both took a large gulp. They drank their Butterbeer and chatted about everything and nothing. By the time they were finished, the pub was still crowded with people. James was telling Lily about his wizard defense classes that he took.  
  
"Yeah, they were definitely informative, but painful too. I don't think I've ever been kicked in the shin so many times in my life. Purposely too." James sighed. "But I hope to finished the course though, maybe even take Sirius or Remus along. I'm sure they would like it."  
  
Lily laughed. "That would definitely be a sight to see."  
  
"What? Sirius, Remus, and probably Peter and me beating each other to a pulp? Or just to see us in large, clunky combat gear?"  
  
"Both, of course." James laughed at Lily's remark.  
  
"Mmm," she said, finally setting down her empty mug. "That really hit the spot. I feel all warm and fuzzy and inside." She smiled a dazed smile.  
  
"Nah, that's just 'cause you're here with me," said James, grinning. Lily threw a coaster at him.  
  
"Ha! In your dreams, Potter."  
  
"Always, and that's the truth. Ready to go? My drink is getting all cold and nonexistent."  
  
"Sure, let's pay the bill." They stood up, paid, thanked Madam Rosmerta, and quickly plowed their way through the crowd and back onto the frozen street. James wrapped his scarf around Lily, whose teeth began chattering.  
  
"Bl – bloody hell. It's f – f – freezing," said James, as they walked along the main street of Hogsmeade.  
  
They spent an enjoyable afternoon choosing various gifts for their friends and family. James purchased a rather elaborate wizard chess set for Remus, whose current set was missing its rook when Peter accidentally knocked over the board during a game one time. They had already given their friends their Christmas gifts, so these were just extras for fun. James found for Sirius a new-and-improved prank kit at Zonko's. He was sure that Sirius would love it.  
  
"Hey James, what do you think about this, for Peter?" Lily held up a book. They were in one of the smaller bookshops in one of the side streets of Hogsmeade. James walked over to Lily to see the title.  
  
'101 Ways to Woo the Woman of Your Dreams.' James nearly laughed so hard he was crying.  
  
Lily shrugged. "Well, he still hasn't gotten the nerve to ask Elmyra out, so I thought think might help him gain some confidence. I was trying to be a friend, though your laughing says otherwise." James was leaning against the bookshelf, trying to regain his composure from laughing so hard. He wiped his eyes.  
  
"Oh man, that's classic. Peter would love it." James took the book from Lily's hands and began reading the back cover.  
  
"It's positively riveting." Lily said with a raised eyebrow. "But from what I've read, you haven't even done half the things they say to do to properly 'woo a woman'. I'm hurt James." She pouted, but smiled.  
  
"Lils, you haven't even given me the chance." James flipped through the book and then gave it back to Lily. Lily went over to the counter and bought the book, along with some glowing bookmarkers she thought Juliet would like for her textbooks. She had chosen some for herself too.  
  
Unlike James, Lily was a little more cautious about where and what she spent her money on. Now that her parents had died, there was a lot of money left over from their trust fund, but Lily still felt that she should watch where she spent everything. She was not poor, but not very rich either. James, on the other hand, came from an exceptionally wealthy family, so money was never an object in the Potter household. But Lily knew that James was not one to waste money either. The Potters were wealthy, but practical. It was late in the afternoon, so they decided to head back to the castle.  
  
~*~  
  
The journey back to Hogwarts was enjoyable. James and Lily had had such a pleasant afternoon that the long walk didn't bother them.  
  
"That was a lot of fun," said Lily, as she and James walked through the front entrance of Hogwarts. "We'll have to make sure to bring everyone along the next time we go there." They were brushing off the snow from their shoes and robes.  
  
"Why? Is my company not sufficient?" James said with a sad look. Lily smiled as they headed toward the Gryffindor Tower.  
  
"No, your company was absolutely wonderful. I just think we'd need another person to carry all these bags." Lily held up her arms that were full of bags. "Especially since they are mostly yours." James laughed.  
  
"Fine, fine. Point taken."  
  
As they strolled up towards the Portrait Hole and into the Common Room, James was laughing uproariously at a story Lily was telling him about the peculiar glances she'd received from one of the young store clerks in Hogsmeade. She said that she'd made a point never to return to that clothing shop again, and James raised his eyebrows sardonically.  
  
"I just – well, it was very weird the way he was looking at me," she said. "It was very disconcerting."  
  
"Was the guys wearing glasses, perchance?" James asked casually.  
  
"Yeah, shaded ones."  
  
"There's the problem. Those were special wizards' glasses that could see through clothing." James nodded his head slyly. He watched as Lily's expression changed from one of confusion to horror.  
  
"He wouldn't…there is no such thing. James Potter, don't lie." Lily glared at him.  
  
James laughed. "It was worth a shot. Yeah, I always wondered if they had such glasses like that." He looked up and down at Lily. "I was hoping."  
  
"Funny. I'll make personally sure that those glasses will never exist" said Lily dryly. "And as for that look you just gave me, all you need to do it is ask, but since you've just spoiled ALL possible chances…"  
  
James snapped his fingers in mock anger.  
  
"Damn." The pair smiled.  
  
They entered the Common Room and seated themselves in the armchairs next to the fireplace. James had a spare pack of Exploding Snap, and the two of them had an enjoyable time. After playing for a while, they decided to go on down the kitchens to fetch a snack. There, one of the house elves had complained to James and Lily that they didn't have enough work to do. James had had to stifle a laugh, as the house elves had nothing but work to keep them occupied. They were preparing for Christmas dinner in a few days time; keeping the castle neat and tidy, not to mention clearing the snow that was blocking the path up to the school.  
  
"I wonder where all the house elves come from," said Lily later that evening, as she and James sat drinking mugs of rich hot chocolate. They were playing wizard's chess now, on James' grandfather's old board, and Lily's knight was currently wrestling James' rook off the board.  
  
"Well, I suppose you have a mummy elf and a daddy elf, and –"  
  
"Forever the witty one," said Lily sarcastically. "I just wondered where they came from, location-wise, that's all."  
  
"I wonder… honestly, I don't know. But they are all over the world now."  
  
"Hmm."  
  
"Yeah," James yawned. "Anyway, Lils, I think I'm gonna go off to bed in a sec. Tired from today's strenuous shopping events. Not to mention my entire half-hour of studying this morning."  
  
"Fifteen minutes."  
  
"Whatever."  
  
"You just wait until the January sales," said Lily, grinning, as James walked her over back to her dorm room.  
  
"January sales?"  
  
"Guess it is just a Muggle thing. They're sales that take place at the start of the year, and everything is incredibly cheap. People go crazy, shopping and grabbing stuff."  
  
"Sounds like a perfect bloody nightmare for the entire male population."  
  
"That is one of the added bonuses." She grinned, as she approached her door. "Good night, James." She took off his scarf that she had been wearing and wrapped it around his neck. She then left her hands there as they kissed goodnight.  
  
After many pleasant minutes, Lily detached her lips from his and started to go into her room. "Sweet dreams, Lily,' he said, as she opened the door. Lily smiled, kissed him again, and walked into the room as James headed down back into his own dorm. Flopping onto his bed, he promptly fell asleep in ten minutes.  
  
~*~  
  
A/N: It's over! Ahhh, I was sitting at my computer, not having a clue as to what to write. Uggh, I really am the worst mush writer ever. ::Sigh:: I tried.  
  
School's starting again, so I'm sorry to say that posting might be a bit slower than the past week. I'll try my best though! Thanks for reading my fic; I greatly appreciate it. Review if you'd like, it's definitely not necessary but it sure makes me happy! ^-^  
  
Take care, ff.net readers! Until next time, in Chapter 11!  
  
~ Stellar  
  
VIELEN DANK TO MY AWESOME REVIEWERS:  
  
Seshat – L/J action has arrived. I'm glad you liked how Lily's emotions were portrayed in response to her parents. I tried to write it as if my own parents had died (which they haven't, thank God). Don't know about the Petunia/Lily relationship yet…might have some sort of blow-up. Hmm. Yeah, L/J kinda awkward at first, but then again, it's just the beginning of the relationship. Things will get much better soon – or at least, in this chapter, they are more comfortable. Sirius has his hot London blonde! Thanks for reading and reviewing! You're fabulous!  
  
Abforth – Peter. Yecch. But new chapter! L/J now! So sad about the parents…thanks so much for reading my fic and reviewing!  
  
'me' – Thanks for reviewing! I'm very happy that you like my story! Thanks!  
  
Anime girl – No problem about the long 'thank you'. Thanks for the long review! (and reviewing!) Oh yeah, L/J is here…yeah, fluffy is great, but I still find it amazingly hard to write. Slowly muddling my way through this fic. I sure hope it doesn't sound cheesy. I think that's my greatest fear. MMWP/L (and Juliet now) are my favorite characters, it's so sad that they had to go! Thanks for readin' and reviewin', and I'll see a next chapter!  
  
Parselmouth Majere – Thanks so much for reading and reviewing! Very glad you're a fan, I am trying very hard! Next chapter on its way.  
  
Quinn – Yeah, kick some Slytherin butt (yep, I act like a 10 year old sometimes too!). Thanks for reading and reviewing! You're awesome! Next chapter on its way!  
  
Snow Flurry – Phew! Glad that wasn't too rushed. Taking things slowly, but I think I'm getting fluffier and fluffier when I write about L/J. Oh man. Hehe, Sophie wasn't in this chapter either! Rejoice! Muchas gracias for r/r!  
  
martini addict – Thanks so much for the compliment! L/J together, finally! Yay! Next chapter coming soon! Thanks for reading and reviewing!  
  
Sirena Oculare – Thanks for reading and reviewing…your compliments make me so happy! New chapter up soon!  
  
Krissia – Thanks so much for the compliments…gosh, I don't I really deserve them! I am very happy that you like this fic and thanks so much for writing that wonderful review! I hope to get more stories out someday, but this one is taking up all my time! L/J finally together! Woo-hoo! New chapter up soon, I hope.  
  
Diabla666 – Glad you liked the chapters, thanks so much for reading and reviewing! About your questions, yeah, I know it is a tad bit early for Quidditch Finals, but I had to adjust some things for my timeline (the Ravenclaw/Gryffindor game again was just my taking artistic liberty to enhance the plot). Sorry if that seems hypocritical since I am trying to make this a "realistic" fic, but I was trying to keep my timeline on schedule. Sorry, if you are offended. I don't mean to. (ahhhhh!) Thanks for your input, greatly appreciated! ^-^  
  
Thistlemeg – Cutesy is my new middle name. Did you just read the chapter I just wrote? Oh my God…I hope that didn't come out too cheesy. Yeesh. Anyway, glad you're happy that L/J is together, and thanks so much for reading and reviewing! James is so awesome…trying not to make his so "flowery" and more like any other teenage guy. New chapter hoped to come out soon! 


	11. Chapter 11

Disclaimer: Not mine…if only.  
  
Chapter 11…here goes nothing. ^-^ Merry Christmas! (har har har)  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Pounding, there was lots of pounding.  
  
Moaning, Remus Lupin sank lower into his bed, burying himself deeper and deeper in his covers. Despite the fact that it was Christmas morning, Remus did not feeling like waking up this early. Granted, he was usually downstairs by now opening presents, but he was no longer a seven-year-old, and he wanted his sleep. The presents could wait, but Remus could not eradicate the loud, pounding noises he was hearing in his head.  
  
'Dear God, make it stop.' Remus turned over beneath his covers and cautiously lifted his sheets up off his face. Lazily, opening an eye, Remus surveyed his room, and found the origin of the loud pounding. There was a large, waving figure hovering at his window, and one of its large appendages was hitting his glass. Rubbing his eyes to better view the stranger at his window, Remus fell back onto his bed as he realized his discovery.  
  
"You have got to be kidding me…" Remus covered himself back with his blankets as the figure continued to pound, louder this time, at his window.  
  
"Remus, let me in! Don't go back to bed, you dolt!" Hovering on his broom, freezing in the chilly December air, Sirius was shouting at Remus to let him into his room, and to celebrate Christmas with him. Unfortunately, it seemed as if Remus did not appreciate Sirius' unexpected presence at seven in the morning.  
  
"C'mon Remus, open the window…bloody hell, it's freezing out here. Don't leave us hanging, it's Christmas. I'm your best friend." Sirius continued to whine and plead from his broom outside.  
  
Not one to leave his one of his closest friends out in the cold, Remus groaned and slowly extricated himself from the covers. Mumbling under his breath ("Why am I always the nice guy…too damn nice…"), Remus grabbed some pajama bottoms and pulled them over his boxers. Not able to find a clean shirt, Remus just decided to walk over to the window to let Sirius inside. Sirius gratefully grabbed hold of the open window and floated gently into Remus' small, but relatively spacious, room.  
  
Shaking off the snow that had caught on his cloak, Remus also noticed a second guest with Sirius. The guest removed their cloak also, and Remus was soon facing a very pretty, and very curvaceous, blonde. She began walking around Remus' bedroom, looking at the various pictures and books he had on his shelves. Ignoring the blonde stranger, Remus turned back to Sirius.  
  
"Do you have any idea what time it is? What an earth are you doing flying?" Remus yawned and stared at Sirius.  
  
Shrugging, Sirius said, "I don't know. Just wanted to wish you a Happy Christmas, Remus. As for the flying, well, Aimee wanted to see my new broom."  
  
"Aimee?"  
  
Sirius pointed to the blonde that was staring intently at a picture of Juliet, Lily, James, and him taken sometime in the fifth year. It was taken after a particularly awesome Quidditch match because it showed them standing next to a beaming James, who was still holding the snitch in his gloved palm.  
  
"Oh. Where did you find HER?" Remus inquired, slowly waking up more and more as he continued the conversation with Sirius.  
  
"Paris. My family stopped by over the holidays. She's attends Beauxbatons and is apparently really good at Charms. Let's just say her 'Charms' look pretty good to me." Sirius waggled his eyebrows and Remus rolled his eyes. He turned to Aimee  
  
"Nice to meet you Aimee. Happy Christmas." Aimee turned, smiled, and shook hands with Remus.  
  
"Very happy to meet you too. You have beautiful room!" Aimee exclaimed, with a heavy French accent. "Sorry, my English is quite weak…only aunt speaks English." She continued to walk around Remus' room, touching everything, while Sirius watched her swaying hips appreciatively.  
  
At that moment, light footsteps could be heard outside in the hallway. Sirius and Remus turned to see Juliet, still in her nightclothes, walking into Remus' room.  
  
"Happy Christmas Remus. You might think I'm crazy but I swear I just heard—why, Sirius! Hey, I wasn't hearing things!" Sirius hugged Juliet, and Juliet proceeded to kiss Remus.  
  
Looking at the clock, Remus turned and said, "Hey, I think we can head down and open some presents. I noticed that you brought yours over here with you, Sirius. Sounds like my mom is making some breakfast too. Wanna head off?" Sirius nodded his head and grabbed his small bundle of gifts. It seemed as if he charmed it to be lighter than it was. Sirius grabbed Aimee's hand and they began out of Remus' room and downstairs to his family room.  
  
Juliet nudged Remus. "Who is she?" Remus lightly shrugged his shoulders.  
  
"Beats me. She's from Beauxbatons, and if you ask me, I think she's Sirius' Christmas present." Juliet laughed as the pair walked downstairs to open their gifts.  
  
~*~  
  
Back at Hogwarts, Christmas morning dawned bright and early for James. Normally at his house, he woke up around eight o'clock, ate breakfast with his parents and other assorted relatives that were visiting, and then opened his presents. And this morning was no different.  
  
Yawning in his bed, James lazily reached over for his glasses and ran his fingers through his unruly hair. He looked at the clock, 8:15am, and then looked at the sleeping form that was in the next bed. Lily was snuggled in Remus' covers, and only a few strands of her auburn hair were sticking on the white pillow. Apparently, there was a large fourth-year slumber party in the dorm room next to Lily's, and she could not get to sleep. Every few moments there was large explosion of giggles followed by loud laughing and screaming. Normally one to enjoy a party, Lily was really tired and all she wanted was to sleep, and unfortunately could not accomplish that goal in her own room.  
  
So at around two in the morning, James woke up to a quiet knock on the door and ushered a sleep-deprived Lily toward Remus' bed. She instantly fell asleep as James fell back onto his on bed, yawning. James slowly got out of bed and put on some pants and a shirt as he headed toward Remus' bed.  
  
Lily was still fast asleep when James started opening the curtains wider. Her reddish hair was strewn all over the pillow as one of her hands was clutching the comforter tightly. She looked so peaceful, James almost did not want to wake her from her slumber. He put his hand on her shoulder.  
  
"Lily," he said quietly. "C'mon Lils, time to wake up. It's Christmas." Lily mumbled something incoherently. "You have a lot of presents under the tree," he added, and that did the trick. Lily opened her eyes and sat up straightaway.  
  
"Good morning, James" she said pleasantly, suddenly awake. She rubbed her eyes and got of out bed. Looking around, Lily said, "Now, where are those presents you were speaking about?"  
  
"Hmm. A brainteaser," said James sarcastically. He grabbed Lily's hand as they walked out of the room and down toward the gigantic Christmas tree in the Common Room. Other students were already down opening their gifts, but there was still a large pile of presents at the foot of the tree for them. After collecting their gifts and situating themselves by the fire in the Common Room, James and Lily began to unwrap their packages.  
  
"Let's see," Lily said, grabbing a small, square present from her pile. She read the card, the gift was from Juliet, and proceeded to open the gift. Lily unwrapped it to find the latest installments of a Muggle series she was currently reading. Ecstatic, Lily put down the books and reached for another gift as James folded a bright green sweater and tossed it aside. Lily laughed as she saw the appalled look on James' face.  
  
They had fun opening their presents in the Common Room. They both received a lot of presents from their friends. Peter had sent both of them a large box of Chocolate Frogs each; Juliet, a huge bar of James' favorite chocolate for himself ("For those long hours, ahem, STUDYING," she had written in the card).  
  
Sirius had sent James a new speed counter for his broom. It was enchanted to dictate the speed that the rider was going at a certain point in time. James' old one broke when the guys were racing at James' house during the summer. Sirius decided to replace it. To Lily's surprise, Sirius had spent quite a lot of money for her gift, giving her a lily-shaped crystal. If placed correctly in the light, the crystal would emit a shower of light. Lily had seen it in a store window at Diagon Alley earlier last year, and it seemed as if Sirius remembered and saved enough money to buy it for her. Lily smiled in appreciation.  
  
Remus had sent both Lily and James novels. Lily's was entitled 15th Century Song Charms, with which she looked fascinated, and James' was called Animagi for the Experienced . Lily grinned at Remus' choice of present for James, and James' smiled back as he began flipping through the various pages with interest. Putting his new book down, James turned and saw that he had only a few presents left, as did Lily. He spotted Lily pick up his own present to her.  
  
"Now, don't be incredibly wishful," he said, as she picked the lumpy package up. "But it's not a diamond necklace or anything."  
  
"Incredible," said Lily sardonically. "You mean they don't make them this shape any more?" James laughed and she began to tear off the gold paper.  
  
"It's just that I did not know if you'd agree to be my girlfriend…and I bought this gift a long time ago. I just want you to know that you mean a lot to me, even though my gift might not really reflect it." James said ruefully, as Lily stopped unwrapping the gift.  
  
"I know you care about me, James…you mean so much to me too. You're one of my best friends. And if you ask me, what we have is much better than any Christmas gift." Lily leaned over and kissed James on the lips. "But the presents aren't that bad either." James laughed as Lily finished opening her gift from him. She held up her present, and gasped.  
  
"Oh James! It's absolutely lovely." It was a very beautiful cloak made of dark blue imported silk. Lily could tell that it must have cost James a fortune, and instantly felt humbled and shy. She looked to James, who was grinning ecstatically at her happy face, and said, "Gosh, you did not need to spend so much money on me. I love it James, thank you very much." Lily hugged James, who whispered in her ear.  
  
"Nonsense, can't a guy buy something nice for his best girl anymore? It was nothing…I'm very glad you like it. I know you are always cold when we go out, so I thought this would be the perfect gift."  
  
"Absolutely perfect." Lily replied, resting her head on his shoulder while still clutching James. After a few warm moments, the pair detached and finished opening their presents. After opening Lily's gift, a watch that James' had circled in a catalogue she had seen, the pair cleaned up their paper and headed towards Lily and Juliet's dorm. Lily placed all of her nice presents on her desk as she hung her new cloak on her dresser, admiring it. Smiling, Lily sat back down next to James, who was sitting on her bed.  
  
"So, what do you want to do now?" Lily inquired, turning to James.  
  
James shrugged, and with a charming grin, lowered his head and kissed Lily.  
  
Giggling lightly, Lily kissed him back. "Looks like a plan to me…" she said between kisses, as she wrapped her arms around his neck.  
  
~*~  
  
Later that evening, back at the Lupin household, Christmas dinner was just getting started. Sirius and Aimee had stayed most of the day and celebrated Christmas with the Lupins and Juliet. Juliet had arrived the day before, and was spending Christmas to New Year's at Remus' house. At the moment, Remus and Sirius were setting the table as Juliet helped Remus' mother in the kitchen. Aimee was sitting in the corner of the room and fluffing her newly permed hair.  
  
"My God, she's a fox." Sirius said, placing a fork next to the plates that Remus was placing around the large, oak table. Aimee was adjusting her tight blouse as Sirius continued to stare. Remus laughed lightly under his breath as he continued to set the large Christmas table.  
  
"Whatever you say, Padfoot, whatever you say."  
  
Sirius slowly moved his gaze away from the blonde and shook his head sadly. "Dude, you've got your own girlfriend about a twenty feet away from you, staying in your own damn house, and Peter's probably gonna get some action with Elmyra, so I think I'm permitted to be a tad bit obsessive with my own catch." Sirius threw and exasperated look. "Honestly, I think even James is getting some with Lily this holiday. Not to make their relationship seem trivial, but c'mon…they're bound to hook up and 10 galleons say they AREN'T snogging right now."  
  
Remus sighed as Sirius continued to bitch about his situation. They then proceeded to go upstairs and change into nicer clothes for Christmas dinner. Remus was buttoning his robe as be walked back into the dining room to check the place cards of the diners. Some of his relatives began drifting into the room also. At that moment, Juliet walked in and started placing food on the table that Sirius and Remus just set. Juliet returned with a platter of vegetables followed Mrs. Lupin set down a large dish of potatoes. She  
  
Was already changed into her dress robes and was trying to avoid catching her sleeve in one of the food dishes.  
  
She walked over to Remus, who complimented on her new dress robe. Smiling, Juliet kissed his cheek.  
  
"Thanks. You bought it for me last year, of course it's nice." They smiled as they watched Sirius and Aimee in the corner. Aimee was sitting on Sirius lap, and was whispering sweet nothings in his ear in French. Remus laughed and Juliet smiled at Sirius who was throwing looks of 'Oh yeah, baby' back to Juliet and Remus. They gave Sirius a thumbs-up sign as the pair continued their seemingly intimate moment in the corner of the dining room.  
  
Juliet sighed. "So, does Sirius even know her last name?"  
  
Remus shrugged. "Highly doubt it, but does it matter?"  
  
"Guess not. Glad they are enjoying…each other." Juliet smiled as she heard Sirius giggle from the corner. "I mean, she's even got him giggling. I haven't heard him giggle since his escapade with Louisa Micheln last year after the Quidditch Championships."  
  
"At least he's happy. Definitely a happy Christmas for him," Remus replied.  
  
"And one for us too." Juliet kissed Remus, who kissed her back. "Happy Christmas."  
  
"Happy Christmas too, baby."  
  
~*~  
  
Back at Hogwarts, Lily and James had managed to disentangle themselves from each other and began to walk down to eat Christmas dinner in the Great Hall.  
  
Professor Dumbledore had cunningly put enchanted mistletoe under many of the doorframes, so James and Lily took cautions not to walk through doors if there were Slytherins approaching. This mistletoe was enchanted, as it would glow brightly if two people walked underneath it. Lily had already walked through a door at the same time as Snape, who was also staying at Hogwarts, earlier that day, so she too was watching her step. James had almost choked laughing when he had witnessed Professor McGonagall and Professor Crogh walking through a door together, and seen their embarrassed faces, as they had continued in opposite directions.  
  
The Hall always looked stunning in the run up to Christmas, but it looked as though Dumbledore had pulled out all the stops for the day itself. A dozen Christmas trees stood around the edges, decorated with glittering pixies, glistening ice crystals, and miniscule golden owls at the top of each. In addition, each tree was surrounded by large groups of shimmering fairies, which were lighting up the Hall. It was an amazing sight to everyone who walked into the Hall. Lily and James were quite surprised.  
  
"Wow," Lily exclaimed looking at all the decorations. "I swear, I've never seen the Hall look this beautiful."  
  
"Seriously," said James from her side. "Holy crap..." Their statements of awe mingled with all the other statements from the various Hogwarts students.  
  
They sat down at the Gryffindor table and began to pull some wizard crackers that were strewn all over. James laughed as one of their crackers exploded and nearly went sailing towards Snape's unsuspecting head. Amazingly, throughout their entire Christmas holiday, they did not run into Snape at all. In fact, their lack of fighting was quite surprising to James.  
  
'But then again, my mind has been occupied somewhere else for the past few days,' James thought, taking a glance at a certain redhead next to him who was conversing with a Ravenclaw she knew from Muggle Studies. Lily turned back to James and grabbed her glass of pumpkin juice from the table. She raised her glass as she watched James do the same.  
  
"Well Jamesie," Lily began, holding her glass. "Hope this Christmas was a great one, and that you got everything you wanted." James nodded in agreement and appreciation.  
  
"Here, here. You too, Lils." They were about to clink their glasses, when the pair thought better of it and kissed instead, placing their glasses back down on the table.  
  
It was a very merry Christmas after all.  
  
~*~  
  
A/N: Yes, I know it's been a while. I said 2-3 days, and it's been about two weeks. Oh well. This chapter took a long time to write…there wasn't really that much to say. I don't know. But thank you for reading, and please review. I definitely appreciate feedback!  
  
Definitely a hectic adjustment back to school…midterm, tests, projects, and with fourth quarter starting now…gonna be a rough ride. My boyfriend's volleyball team played, so I had to go to a couple games. So yeah, thanks for your patience! I definitely appreciate it!  
  
Until next time,  
  
~ Stellar  
  
Special thanks to my reviewers…you guys are stellar!  
  
Harriet Ennis – Oh gosh! 34 pages?! Yowza! But I'm very glad you think it's worth it…I try very hard to make my characters realistic and not be overly funny or 'cliched'. Thanks for reading and reviewing!  
  
Snow Flurry – No Sophie in this either! Yeah, think I'm getting annoyed with her. Thanks for reading and reviewing! I appreciate it!  
  
Seshat – Yeah, the death scene is very hard! Ahh, took me a while. Thanks for reading and reviewing. And I definitely bet Sirius wants some of those see-through glasses.  
  
Thistlemeg – Fluffy Chapter 10! Fluffy Christmas Chapter 11! I'm on a roll! Thanks for reading and reviewing!  
  
Ravenclawgirly – Thanks for reading and reviewing my story! I am so glad that you like it! Lily will tell James sometime…I got it all planned out! ^- ^  
  
Princess Hermione – I've very glad you enjoyed my story! Thank you very much for reading and reviewing!  
  
Martini addict – I know…so cute! I'm trying to post as soon as I can! Thanks for r/r! Appreciate it greatly!  
  
Felicity Aulia Evans – Glad you liked it! Muchas gracias for reading and reviewing!  
  
Anime girl – Alrighty, I know I was the biggest slowpoke ever in re- posting. But I'm glad you liked the last chapter. I'll try to write as fast as I can! Thanks for reading and reviewing! Love 'em!  
  
Slytherin Sweetheart – I'm very happy that you liked the chapter! Sweet is good! Thanks a bunch for reading and reviewing…I really appreciate it!  
  
Krissia – I know, I know, this chapter took even longer to come out…I'm trying! So hard to write regularly with school and such. But anyway, thanks for enjoying my mush and reviewing about it too! I am getting better (I hope). Thanks so much for reading and reviewing, and I great cherish it! 


	12. Chapter 12

Disclaimer: My name isn't J.K. Rowling. Therefore, none of these characters, with which I am dictating their fictional lives, belong to me. Oh well…a girl can dream.  
  
Please fasten your seat belts and keep all arms in legs inside the fanfiction…we are now approaching Chapter 12…  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
It was a cold and grey day at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.  
  
Christmas had come and past, as well as New Year's Day. There was a lively celebration at Hogwarts, equipped with wizard firecrackers and sparklers, but the partying soon returned back to the quiet solitude at the near-empty castle.  
  
Students would be returning shortly, and James could not wait until he could see his friends again. Now, that did not mean that Lily's company wasn't enjoyable—for it definitely WAS, in James' case—but he was beginning to miss Sirius' loud and mischievous laugh, Remus' knowing smile, and Peter's timid companionship. Hell, he even missed Juliet to some extent, and her friendly jokes and chatter.  
  
James continued to think about his friends while he was sitting at his desk, one grey evening. He was trying to reorganize his desk—it had gotten extremely messy over the past few weeks—and when emptying out his drawer, he had stumbled upon an old leather-bound album. James recognized that album as a birthday gift he had received from Peter and Remus a couple years back. He began flipping through the album, smiling at some of the pictures and papers that were neatly tucked inside.  
  
There was a few family photos that his mother had sent him ("so you won't ever forget us when you're at Hogwarts, dear"), and some essays that he had received extraordinary marks on. There were also some wizard photographs that were taken spontaneously throughout his school years, mainly the fourth and fifth, when Sirius had managed to take when he borrowed a wizards' camera one year. There were Quidditch pictures and flying pictures, and one that Sirius had taken near the Girls' Bathroom that showed a very irate Juliet charging at Sirius wearing only in a towel. James' couldn't help but smile at all those fond memories.  
  
He shut the album and placed it in a nice spot on his bookshelf. James yawned and turned to look at Lily, who was lying quietly on his bed. She was reading one of the new books she had received for Christmas and, using her newly trained wandless magic skills, was levitating her bookmarker and twirling simply it with her finger. James watched as the marker went round and round in circles as Lily casually turned another page in her book, unbeknownst to James' staring.  
  
James held out his hand, and managed to summon the bookmarker into his grasp. Their wandless magic skills were not very advanced, for they could only pick certain things up and levitate items and such, but it was enough. Only very powerful wizards could train their skills to perform all sorts of spells and charms without their wand, but the fact these teenagers could do some 'tricks' was pretty awesome in amongst itself.  
  
Noticing that her bookmarker was no longer in sight, Lily looked up from her book to James. She smiled and said, "Hey, what's up?"  
  
James shrugged his shoulders and sent the bookmarker whizzing back into Lily's book. Outstretching his palm, Lily grinned as she watched James place the bookmarker onto the page she was reading, shut the book, and send it flying onto his shelf without even lifting his wand that sat on his desk. "Nothing much. I'm tired…and I miss Sirius."  
  
James walked over to his bed and flopped down across it horizontally, with his long legs still flopping over the edge. "I'm suffering from prank- deprivation."  
  
Lily looked down at James. "There, there. These past few days have only served to keep you out of trouble. Wouldn't want you to have to spend your holiday in misery. When Sirius, Remus, and Peter come back, you guys will be back to your antics in no time. You'll be back in detention before you know it."  
  
James chuckled. "Yeah, that's true. The guys should be returning any day now. I hope they come tomorrow."  
  
Lily nodded her head. "I think so, at least, that's what Dumbledore said when he was reading the calendar during the last Prefect's meeting. The train would be arriving a couple days after New Year's." James nodded his head.  
  
The pair continued to talk quietly for the rest of the evening, until Lily got tired and leaned back on James' bed, asleep. Exhausted himself, and semi-conscious, James did not have the strength to carry Lily back to her dorm. Instead, he pushed Lily, who was on top of the covers and facing the opposite direction, over more to the right side of the bed as he slipped into his sheets on the left. He draped his Quidditch cloak that was hanging near his bed over Lily, and slightly shut his curtain, falling soundly asleep once he hit his pillow.  
  
~*~  
  
"All aboard! Hogwarts Express leaving for Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry! All aboard!" screeched the intercom on Platform 9 ¾, the following morning.  
  
Rubbing his sore, and now deaf, right ear with his hand, Sirius began pushing his trunk through the thick crowds of Hogwarts' students that were boarding the train back to the castle. He waved to Peter, who was rushing up from his right, and the pair boarded the train.  
  
After packing away their trunks, they walked through the train compartments until they found Remus. He had his arm resting on the window, and a sleepy expression on his face. Sirius and Peter sat down across from him just as Juliet entered the compartment, after tucking away her own trunk.  
  
Yawning, Juliet nodded to Sirius and Peter. "Good morning, fellows. See you managed to get yourself out of bed and onto this dreadfully early train too." She yawned again, slumping against the seat cushion.  
  
Sleepily, Sirius nodded. "Yeah, way too early if you ask me. But then again, I'm just gonna sleep on the train." Following Remus' example, he was now fast asleep against the window, Sirius shut and eyes and let sleep overtake him too.  
  
The four friends were silent the entire ride back to Hogwarts, with an occasional snore only coming out of the compartment.  
  
~*~  
  
The train ride to Hogwarts was a relatively fast one. The friends woke up, starting with Peter, about ten minutes before their arrival at the train station, and they managed to change into their school robes and clean themselves up before leaving the train.  
  
It was another fifteen minutes after their got their trunks and headed off the train before their actual ride to Hogwarts. There was a lot of confusion and throngs of people, so everyone was separated from everyone for a while. Inevitably, they found each other again, and took the boat ride back to the castle.  
  
It was a familiar and comforting sight for everyone, and Sirius was especially happy to see James again. They continued to write for the remainder of the holiday, but James was his best friend, and Sirius missed his company.  
  
Turning to Remus, who was sitting next to him on the boat, Sirius smiled as a sudden thought passed through his mind. "Hey, so do you think James hooked up with Lily this holiday? I mean, they were alone together for about the entire time." Remus pondered that thought and nodded, knowingly.  
  
"Probably. The two have a pretty apparent attraction to each other and given that circumstance—alone in the castle for the holiday—they probably got to know each other better, thus changing some details of their relationship." Juliet, hearing their conversation, spoke up also.  
  
"They definitely expressed their feelings to each other. Lily sent a letter to me a couple days ago, and she sounded a lot different in her writing tone—much happier, if you ask me. They just probably want to tell us later, when we got there."  
  
Sirius nodded in agreement. "Yeah, that's true. But knowing James, and his sometime promiscuous ways, he got a lot of snogging-action this holiday…no doubt about it. The man's a lady killer, and I doubt even Lily could avoid his charming ways." Remus and Peter laughed at the "charming ways" remark.  
  
"Hey, she's done it for 6 years," Juliet replied. "It's worked since then." Everyone nodded and continued their ride to the castle, anxious to see their friends again.  
  
Once entering the main entrance of the castle, the groups of students separated into their specific houses as Sirius, Remus, Peter, and Juliet began walking toward to the Gryffindor Tower. Once through the Portrait Hole and through the slowly crowding Common Room, the group split up as Juliet walked toward the girls' room and the guys headed back to their own dorm.  
  
The guys walked into the room and plopped their trunks at the foot of their beds. Sirius rushed over to James bed.  
  
"Yo, Prongs! I'm back! Prongs!" Sirius pulled the slightly closed curtain to wake up his best friend but was greeted with a different sight all together. Lying in James' normal spot was a familiar, pretty redhead with her arm sprawled lazily out and her hair plastered to her face. Sirius opened the curtains a little wider and saw James, whose body was tucked in a tight position and his arms under his head, sleeping soundly beneath Lily's arm.  
  
"Whoa. Hey, Remus, remember I said that James was gonna get lucky with Lily this holiday, I didn't mean THAT lucky." Sirius ushered Remus over and the two continued to stare at the pair as Peter came by also.  
  
"Wow," Remus said, crossing his arms.  
  
Blinking slightly by the sudden intrusion of light, Lily shifted her head and started to squint at the large, dark figures that were hovering above her once sleeping form. She rubbed her eyes and squinted again, finally registering the figures. "Sirius? Remus? That you?"  
  
"In the flesh," Sirius replied.  
  
Lily blinked and sat up. "That's cool you guys came back early. I'm surprised to see you." Lily stretched her arms.  
  
"We're surprised to see you here too, Lily," Peter said softly, from behind Remus. "Especially in James' bed."  
  
"What?" Lily turned suddenly and saw a sleeping James shift subconsciously, grabbing some more comforter. "Oh, I think I fell asleep here last night; we were talking late."  
  
"Right. Talking." Sirius nodded and rolled his eyes.  
  
"Yes, Sirius," Lily said, shaking her head as Sirius started to laugh at her. "As you can see, my clothes are completely on, and I'm not even under the covers." Sirius laughed.  
  
"Naah, I'm just giving you a hard time, Lils. You wouldn't do anything like that…though James might, and I'm gonna bug the shit out of him for this too. But I am now definite that there is something going on between you too...and it ain't just friendly." Sirius waggled his eyebrows, while Remus and Peter nodded their heads in agreement.  
  
Lily smiled sheepishly as she extricated herself from James' bed. James yawned, still asleep, as Lily shut the curtains behind her and started heading back into her dorm room. She chatted with Remus, Sirius, and Peter about their holidays before she left. They all waved as she walked down the stairs.  
  
"Ohhh, James is gonna get it when he wakes up." Sirius said, grinning, rubbing his hands together and walking back into his room.  
  
~*~  
  
"Alright. Tell me everything. EVERYTHING."  
  
Lily let out a small laugh as Juliet jumped onto her bed. Walking into her room, Lily was nearly knocked over by the crushing hug she received from Juliet. The pair expressed their happiness of finally meeting up after the holidays and gratefulness for their presents.  
  
"C'mon, Jules. There isn't that much to tell about. James and I became better friends over the holiday, that's all." Lily smiled and enigmatic smile as she walked over to her dresser. She pulled out her comb and began untangling her crazy, auburn mane.  
  
"Lily, the guy basically expressed his love for you and asked you to be his girlfriend. Can you believe it? JAMES POTTER, spilling his innermost guts to you and practically begging you to be his committed snogging-partner!" Juliet exclaimed.  
  
Lily turned around, rolling her eyes. "Geez, Jules, when you put it like that…it doesn't sound very romantic at all!"  
  
"Sorry, sorry. But you know…we all expected you guys to hook up someday, and that fact that it all happened when we were gone…I want to know what happened. You sound so happy. I want to be happy with you." Juliet replied, lazily tracing a patter on Lily's bedcover.  
  
"I know you do, and I am happy you're my friend. But there isn't that much to tell…James told me what was on his heart, and I told him what was on mine. Luckily, they were the same ideas, and now, I guess, he's my boyfriend. Pretty weird, huh?"  
  
"I think it's absolutely divine. And the fact that James is willing to settle down with you…" Juliet started but was stopped when Lily gave her a hard stare. "No, no, I did not mean that in a bad way at all! James has been such the promiscuous charmer, and now that he is willing to change his ways…just to be with you…that says a lot. You are very lucky." Juliet finished, with a triumphant look on her face.  
  
Lily smiled. "Gee, thanks. I know I am."  
  
Juliet smiled in return. "Alright, on a more important note…so, how is he? I noticed that you came out of his ROOM this morning. And I doubt that you were sleeping in Sirius' bed."  
  
Lily's eye got wide at Juliet's remark, and she waved her arm as a pillow when flying toward Juliet's face.  
  
"Ahhh!" Juliet screamed. "It was just a question!"  
  
~*~  
  
James woke up about ten minutes later, and survived all the questions that the guys were hounding him with. Still somewhat dazed from sleep, James tried to comprehend, let alone answer, all of Remus' and Sirius' questions about his newfound relationship with Lily.  
  
"She's just a special girl…and I really want this work out." James replied, slipping on trousers over his boxer shorts.  
  
"Wow, James. It's just that every time you get interested in a girl, you usually end the relationship before anything, how shall I say, meaningful, ever happens. Or when the girl believes it should be meaningful. And now, here you are WANTING to make it last longer…" Remus shrugged as his finished his statement.  
  
James shrugged in agreement. "Yeah. But it's just that Lily's different, and I don't ever want to hurt her. I feel as if I have this giant need to protect her."  
  
Sirius' voice chimed from his bed. "You hurt Lily and I swear to God I will kill you…"  
  
James smiled. "I won't, Sirius. Ever." They guys began to assemble to leave to go down for breakfast.  
  
The walked down the stairs toward the Great Hall and began getting onto the more relaxed topic of their past holiday plans. Sirius was recounting his hot Christmas with Aimee, and Peter was telling the guys about a new broom he had received from his parents. Thing were getting back to normal. Almost.  
  
A minute or two later, the girls emerged from their room and began heading toward the Hall to join the guys. Lily was waiting as Juliet tied the laces of her shoes.  
  
"Look, there's Remus…and James." Juliet said to Lily. Lily simply smiled. "James really likes you, you know. He really does…to the point where he has completely lost all common sense."  
  
"Yeah, Juliet, I think you've told me that. I am very lucky." Lily replied.  
  
"Yes, but Sirius told me that he wrote some letters to him over the holiday saying that he REALLY loved you. And that's he fallen so hard for you."  
  
Lily nodded her head. "I saw the letters. I know what James said. And you know what? I think that is what I fear the most."  
  
Juliet turned. "What?"  
  
Lily continued on walking toward the Great Hall. "Now that James has expressed his extreme desire for me, I cannot help but feel the exactly the same way too. If not more."  
  
~*~  
  
A/N: Geez, it's been a while. AP testing and everything…so I finally got off my lazy butt and finished the chapter. A tad bit shorter than usual, but more serious and lovey-dovey in tones. I hoped you liked it.  
  
Take care, until next time ff.net readers!  
  
~ Stellar  
  
Thanks a bunch to all of my reviewers!  
  
Anime girl * Slytherin Sweetheart * Krissia * thistlemeg * Felicity Aulia Evans * Mako-Shadows * Parselmouth Majere * 


	13. Chapter 13

Disclaimer: All of these characters and settings belong to Ms. J.K. Rowling.who, I've heard, is the richest woman in England now. Soon to be the richest woman in the UNIVERSE too.  
  
Greetings! I am back from the dead.after about a year break. Gosh, I was shuffling through my stuff, and noticed this unfinished fanfic. So enough with my mindless chatter, and.  
  
ON WITH THE FANFIC!  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Lily and Juliet entered the bustling Hall with a renewed sense of energy. First and foremost, it was the beginning of a new year, and that always struck a positive chord with all of the students. There was a strong feeling of familiarity returning to the school, for everywhere you went, there were witches and wizards in new cloaks with new wands hugging and reacquainting themselves with their friends. Everyone seemed to be on a renewed high because of the holiday. Lily barely walked two steps before she was bombarded with "hellos!" and "greetings, Lily!" from various classmates. Juliet and Lily walked further into the Hall, and they began to separate due to the large crowd congregating before the meal.  
  
"Hi, Lily! Did you have a nice holiday?" Emily Landon, a witch in Lily's Potions class, asked amiably.  
  
Lily smiled and replied, "Yes, I did, thank you. How about yourself? Were you able to visit Daniel in the hospital?" Lily's face went from cheerful to sincere curiosity.  
  
"Oh, I was! He's doing a lot better now, and he's off medication. Mum says in a couple of more weeks, he'll be able to return home and rest." Emily's younger brother, Daniel, was diagnosed with a severe liver condition a few years ago. Try as the doctors might, there was not much they could do for Emily's muggle brother. She was often concerned for his well being, and told Lily that she planned to stay with him in the hospital during Winter Holiday. Emily waved to Lily as she walked to greet another friend.  
  
Now alone, Lily peered around the Great Hall to look for her friends. 'Gosh, I wish I was taller, so I could see everyone.' She stood on her tiptoes and gracefully turned in circles to see where they were sitting. She spotted Sirius and Remus, and quickly rushed over to an empty seat at the table. Pretty soon, James, Peter, and Juliet arrived at the table too, just as the food began to arrive.  
  
At the table, Juliet recounted her winter break to Lily, who was munching on a piece of wheat toast. Juliet could tell that Lily was very interested and smiled inwardly as she also noticed Lily taking frequent glances to look at James. James would usually catch Lily's gaze and return it with a smile. Juliet said a mental "Awww..." as she continued to talk to Lily.  
  
Meanwhile, the Marauders were also regrouping and making new plans about upcoming pranks on Snape and other nasty Slytherins.  
  
After breakfast was completed, as well as a "welcome back" speech from Dumbledore, the four Marauders headed off into the dispersing crowd. Juliet wanted to finish unpacking, and asked Lily to help her. Just before disappearing, James went over to Lily and squeezed her hand. Looking up, Lily smiled and squeezed back as James ran off to join his cohorts.  
  
"It's good to be back," Juliet started, as the girls walked through the hallways towards the Gryffindor Common Room. "I've really missed this place.and you."  
  
"I'm so happy you've returned too, Jules." Lily smiled, and hugged her best friend.  
  
Snaking through the groups of second years sitting on the floor, Juliet continued talking to Lily. "I mean, as sweet as Remus is, it's nice to have some female company again. I swear, one of these days, those guys are going to drive me into a mental institution!"  
  
Laughing, the girls finally reached their room. For the next half-hour or so, Lily helped Juliet unpack her clothing, while admiring the gifts they had received over the break. While it was nice to catch up on things with Juliet, Lily felt a tugging at heart that only a certain messy-haired boy could induce. The anticipation of their reconciliation was killing her.  
  
~*~  
  
It was not until much later that James caught up with Lily again. After spending most of the afternoon devising new pranks for the year, James was walking briskly through the open corridor of the school. The wind was chilly, and he buttoned his cloak a little higher around his neck. From the viewpoint of a casual passerby, James was a determined man on a mission. His long legs were taking him quickly to an obvious destination.  
  
That destination was obvious when one looked ahead of James. Strolling gracefully and enraptured in the snowy fields was Lily, passing back to the Great Hall from the library. She had returned some of the textbooks she had borrowed that break, and was no hoping to catch up with James before dinner. Unbeknownst to her, James had already beaten her in that respect.  
  
Wrapping her scarf around her, Lily jumped when a large hand situated itself on her shoulder. Relaxing, she recognized the familiar scent and quiet shuffle of her darling. Smiling, Lily looked up with shining eyes.  
  
"Fancy meeting you here, Mr. Potter."  
  
James quickly lowered his head and kissed her forehead. "Always a pleasure, Ms. Evans. Consider me your personal stalker. I'm never leaving. "  
  
"Mmm.is that a promise?" Lily said, as James' hand lowered itself to her waist.  
  
"Oh, most definitely" The pair continued to walk into the Great Hall and past some eye-raising stares. James removed his hand as they headed off to meet their friends.  
  
Entering the Common Room, Lily was surprised to see it nearly vacated except for Sirius, sitting in the corner. Not surprising, though, was the fact he was schmoozing with a pretty Seventh Year. Sirius, who was holding and admiring her hand, noticed the couple enter the Room and gave them a wink. James, trying to stifle down his laughter, egged Lily upstairs to the guys' room as she shook her head at Sirius.  
  
"My gosh, he's been here, what.not even twelve hours, and he's already getting some action? Something's definitely wrong with that picture." Lily stated. "I bet you thirty galleons that Sirius doesn't even REMEMBER the name of the girl he was with this holiday."  
  
"Hey, Sirius has his priorities. I remember the name of the girl I was with his holiday." James winked at Lily and he sat down on his bed.  
  
"Yeah, thanks. All the consolation I need." Lily sighed as she sat down next to him. Leaning backward, she felt softly against his soft comforter. James followed suit, and stared at his canopy. He turned sideways to look at Lily.  
  
"I mean, it's not that hard to forget. You are quite a decent kisser, uh, Lauren? Leslie? Linda?" James scratched his head and pretended to recount her name.  
  
"Why, I oughta." Lily said, jokingly, as she sat up.  
  
"Ooh, you oughta what?" James replied, pulling Lily down on near him. He pulled her closer to kiss her.  
  
Just as their lips were a kiss's length apart, and their mouths began to open, Lily pulled away. James groaned. "C'mon Lily."  
  
"That's what you get for forgetting my name, you big jerk." Lily smirked and raised an eyebrow. Her small hand reached over and pulled James' face closer to hers.  
  
There was no more speaking for a while.  
  
~*~  
  
A/N: Yeah, it's been a while. Here's something to tie you over until I write the next installment (which I hope to be soon!)  
  
Love ya lots.thanks for reading! Review if you'd like!  
  
~ Stellar 


	14. Chapter 14

Disclaimer: All of these characters and settings belong to Ms. J.K. Rowling, who, I've heard, is the richest woman in England now. Soon to be the richest woman in the UNIVERSE too.

After what I'll say is about a three or four year hiatus…I have dusted off this poor (but in my mind lovely) fanfic and have tried to return it back to its original splendor.

Enjoy! 

With the natural high of Winter Holiday almost completely dissipated, life began returning to its regular routine at Hogwarts. The winter decorations were beginning to disappear from the Great Hall, and professors began assigning ludicrous amounts of homework to their poor, unassuming students.

And with that in mind, Lily continued to walk silently from class. 'Let's see I have to finish my Charms essay, review Potions, reschedule the tutoring session, and tell James about the ---" Lily's train of thought stopped when she mentioned James' name. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed a suspicious—and tall—cloaked figure that had been following her ever since she left class. With a sigh and a smirk, Lily's eyes looked straight again and she continued to walk.

She began walking at an even brisker pace then before, and noticed that the cloaked mystery man hurried its pace to keep up behind her. Lily swerved in and out of the crowd heading back toward the dormitories. The cloaked figure darted back and forth too. When Lily was finally out of the crowd, she immediately stopped walking and stood still in the hallway.

Not noticing Lily's stop, James crashed right behind and into Lily's figure.

"Whoa!" Lily said, as she flew forward. Turning around, she smiled at James, who looked like disheveled and tired of chasing her.

"You weren't supposed to STOP, Ms. Evans. Good gosh." James smiled as he helped pick up the textbooks that flew out of Lily's arms. "I'm skipping the rest of my classes today, and I was hoping to continue my stalking undisturbed until we reached the Common Room."

"Tough luck, buddy." Lily leaned in and kissed James on the tiny spot between his neck and his head. James blushed, and they returned back to the dormitories without further ado.

Remus smacked his head down on the table. The resulting, large thud made Sirius jump with a start.

"Bloody hell?!" Sirius exclaimed, his Quidditch magazine flying out of his hands.

Remus looked up dolefully. "Are you okay?"

"Except for the seven years I've just had scared out of me, I'm just grand. Thanks." Sirius picked magazine up off the floor. "What's wrong?"

"Oh, it's just Hogwarts. We've been back for nearly two weeks, and I already feel as though Winter Holiday was a million years ago. I'm behind on so much…" Remus' eyes drifted over to the large stack of parchment paper and textbooks that laid strewn next to him. He whimpered.

Right before Sirius could respond, the soggy bodies of James and Lily stumbled in the Common Room, straight from what looked like a battle with a storm cloud that they both lost.

"What in the name of all that is holy is going on outside?" James exclaimed, shaking snow off of his scarf while Lily shook her water-logged quill and parchment roll. "It went from chilly to snowstorm in about three seconds. I am glad that we'd already reached Gryffindor Tower."

Sirius got up from his seat and helped James with his cloak and peered out the window. "Well, Prongs, there goes our prank. I knew we were trying drench the Slytherins out of their rooms, but looks like our water source has now become a giant ice cube." Sirius pointed to the lake. James shook his head in mutual disappointment.

While the boys were commiserating, Lily walked over to the still hunched figure of Remus.

"What's going on, Lupin? You aren't looking so well." Lily sat in Sirius' vacant seat.

Remus gave Lily a sad look and began to speak cautiously, "Things are not exactly going my way right now. I feel behind in classes and a bit overwhelmed and"—Remus stopped to see if James and Sirius were still at the window—"to top it off Juliet has been avoiding me all week."

"What? No…" Lily placed a reassuring hand on Remus' back, hoping to alleviate the discomfort that was apparent on his face. "You must be mistaken, she adores you and your company. Maybe she's just busy. And for the homework, we'll catch you up in no time; stop by my tutorial session tomorrow and I will help ease the load."

Remus smiled a wan smile at Lily and thanked her. "You're a good friend, Lily. Maybe you're right. This could just be the exhaustion speaking—I'm losing my mind. And it's not even a full moon yet." Remus sat up and began collecting his things together to drag back to his room.

By that time, Sirius and James had concocted a back-up plan to make up for the one the snowstorm changed on the Slytherins. As they drew up the diagrams and worked out the timing, Lily grabbed James' cloak and walked up with Remus to they boys' room.

Lily sneaked a glance at James from the corner of her eye, and saw him move his head quickly in her direction while Sirius was scribbling something down. For a few delicious moments, the pair's eyes were locked, and Lily could feel James' affection rush from his body to hers. She blushed and turned away. James smiled as Lily hurried up the stairs with Remus. Sirius and James finished their plan of attack.

Once again, the halls of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry were not safe.

Lily sat her desk, with the sound of snow falling softly on her windowpane. She looked up from her essay, and rubbed her eyes. Two hours of Advanced Charms was slowly eating away at her sanity. She couldn't recite anything anymore without possibly wanting to snap her wand in half.

Lily stood up and walked over to her book bag which was perched on the edge of her dresser. She reached inside and grabbed the letter which she received via post today, and headed toward the window. Looking out into the vast darkness, she could barely see the faint traces of the moon and from that, the tiny dots of people and places within Hogwarts. She sighed and wondered what her friends were doing now.

Sirius and James had left a while ago to do whatever illicit deed Sirius had been planning, and Lily had dropped a now calmer Remus off at his room. Peter was probably hiding out in the library. Lily glanced over at Juliet's empty desk and wondered where she was.

'Hmm…what could be so troubling that she would avoid Remus for so long?' Lily remembered how inseparable the two have been, and shrugged her shoulders in confusion. 'Probably none of my business anyway, but I hope she's okay.'

Lily sat down on her bed and shut a part of the canopy curtain to keep warm. She looked at her letter – nicely addressed in Aunt Lavinia's handwriting – and ripped open the seal. Her aunt's scent of lavender and mint was evident in the lily-laden stationery that was used. Lily smiled.

'_My dear Lily…_

_I write in hopes that I'm not disturbing you amidst your difficult studies at school, and send word that everything is going quite well at home. We miss you very much and are always thinking of you…'_

Lily read through the letter quickly, which basically updated her on the happenings at home—her parents' estate and belongings have been settled, and that Lily and Petunia had quite a bit of money left in their name. Lily's eyes widened at the large sum of money that her aunt had written.

Lily felt tears start to form in her eyes, and remembered how her parents would always speak of traveling once Lily and Petunia had moved out. That they would be very frugal with their own purchases and subscribe to travel magazines, in hopes of one day finding their dream vacation together. Lily would joke around with them, but now, they jokes didn't seem quite as funny. If anything, she would give anything to hear them laugh and dream once again at their kitchen table.

She wiped the solitary tear that fell down her cheek with her sleeve, and briefly finished the letter. Petunia was doing well, and her romance with Vernon was still in full bloom. Lily rolled her eyes and placed the paper back into the envelope. With a slight sniffle, Lily jumped off her bed and put the letter in her desk drawer. Just as she was about to shut the drawer, Lily heard a creak from the corner of the room.

Looking up, Lily turned and saw nothing but Juliet's unmade bed. Lily peered closer and didn't see anything. Turning around back to her desk, Lily held back a scream when she saw James sitting on her chair.

"James Potter, are you trying to kill me?" Lily's face regained the blood that just rushed out, as James laughed. He stood, and gave Lily a hug. Sometimes, Lily believed that his quick, Quidditch-trained reflexes were too useful for his own good.

"No, my dear Ms. Evans, but I was hoping to wish my favourite girl goodnight before she retired to bed for the evening."

Lily's face, pressed right now to James' Prefect badge, cracked into a smile. Leaning back, but still holding on to James, she let him see her face. "Nice save, you bloody git." They kissed, as James maneuvered them over to her bed.

Sitting down, James noticed the blurry look in Lily's eyes. "What happened, Lil? Have you been crying?" He placed a hand on her cheek.

Lily looked up, and relished the feeling of his warm hand on her face. The hand that could effortlessly grab a snitch in midair was the same hand that could erase all of her fears and worries. She shook her head.

"Nothing's wrong, James. I just read something sad in a book, is all. You know how much of a sap I could be," Lily lied. She could not bear to tell James the entire truth right now. He would be so worried about her, that she could not bear to make him feel that way when he had classes and Quidditch—not to mention his own family—to be concerned about.

"You sure?" James inquired, his hand never leaving her face. His thumb was now stoking her soft, porcelain skin. He brushed a long, auburn strand of hair from her face that had managed to escape her clip.

Lily nodded and pulled James into an embrace. How very lucky she was to have James and all of her friends taking care of her.

An hour or two passed, and James realized that he needed to head back into his room. The pair just sat on Lily's bed enjoyed each other's company while the snow continued to fall outside.

There were moments when neither said anything at all, yet the silence still remained a comforting time for them. They were still connected.

James managed to extricate himself from Lily's warm grasp and put back on his cloak, which he had draped against the side of her bed. Adjusting his badge—he had come from night Prefect duties—he took off his tie and held it in his hand.

Lily sat up and proceeded to grab her cloak and walk James back to where the boys' rooms were. James persuaded her to stay.

"Don't go, it's cold in the hallways and you're warm here." James told Lily to put her cloak back on her chair.

Lily gave him a knowing look and put her cloak away. "Whatever you want, James, but it's not a big deal, really. I want to see you back to your room."

"I know, but do not bother. It is easier this way. Stay here, keep warm." James leaned in and kissed Lily goodnight. For a few minutes, neither noticed anything else in the world.

"Sweet dreams, Lils. Say goodnight to Juliet for me too. Where is she so late?" James said, walking toward the door.

Lily looked over and shrugged. "I have no idea. She is usually back here working, but I guess she has other ideas." Lily leaned against the door frame.

"Hmm." James slouched a bit, appearing to be in thought. Lily thought he looked adorable. "Speaking of other ideas, I ran into Sophie Welles tonight. Gosh, she is a piece of work."

Lily made a grimace. "Thanks for ruining the mood, Potter."

James laughed, "Naah, there was no harm in my saying anything. It's just that she followed me on my entire night-shift route for a good hour. I had to hide in the Prefect's bathroom to get rid of her."

Lily crossed her arms and shook her head. "I don't know why she is a Ravenclaw sometimes. She tends to lose all semblances of common sense." Seeing James' look, Lily added, "Don't get any ideas, buddy."

James smiled and held up his hands in mock surrender. "What it takes to keep Ms. Evans happy. Goodnight."

Lily smiled as she watched James saunter down the stairs back into towards the boys' dormitories quietly. She then went back to her empty room and shut the door.

It has been a long, long day.

Good golly, it's feels nice to be back.

I apologize to all those I've left hanging for a while, and am thankful that you returned to reread my fanfic again. I really appreciate it. Even if you hated it, I appreciate your taking the time to read and/or review.

To all those who reviewed, thanks a lot.

Take care, readers! Be well and have an excellent Thanksgiving. Be safe.

Stellar


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